February 26, 2020

Wednesday

Hilton Heights

February 26, 2020 T: 582-7800 www.arubatoday.com facebook.com/arubatoday instagram.com/arubatoday

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Page 13

Trump, U.S. officials send mixed messages on virus risk here

By R. ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and J. LEMIRE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and his chief economic adviser said Tuesday that the new coronavirus is under control in the U.S., even as the government's top disease fighters warned Americans to prepare for an outbreak here. The mixed messages came as the stock market tumbled for a second straight day and lawmakers of both political parties questioned whether the White House's request for $2.5 billion in virus response funding will be enough to prepare the nation.

Speaking earlier in the day from New Delhi, India, Trump said "we have very few people with it." A "lot of talent" and a "lot of brainpower" is being tapped for the coronavirus response, he added.

Continued on Page 2

President Donald Trump speaks with business leaders at a roundtable event at Roosevelt House, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, in New Delhi, India.

Associated Press

A2 UP

Wednesday 26 February 2020

FRONT

Trump, U.S. officials send mixed messages on virus risk here Continued from Front

He said the situation is "very well under control in our country."

Later, economic adviser Larry Kudlow portrayed the stock market's slide as a buying opportunity for investors. "Our economy is in good shape," said Kudlow.

"This virus won't last forever.

We have contained it."

But Dr. Nancy Messonnier, who leads work on respiratory diseases for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters that "it's not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen – and how many people in this country will have severe illness."

U.S. health officials say there's no mixed messaging — they have previously warned that they expect some spread around the country.

The message has become more urgent as they work to educate Americans about the risk, and about the steps that would happen if they are

Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar testifies before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on President Donald Trump's budget request for fiscal year 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020.

Associated Press

unable to contain the new virus by quarantining travelers coming to the U.S. Now, they want people to start thinking about different kinds of measures they might see if the virus starts spreading, including closing schools and encouraging telework. Those steps were taken during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic.

"Part of preparedness is an educated population thinking about the future,"

said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.

"The immediate risk to the general American public remains low, but that has the potential to change quickly," he added.

Tuesday morning on Capitol Hill, senators of both political parties questioned whether the White House's request for $2.5 billion would be enough.

"If you low-ball something like this, you'll pay for it later," Sen. Richard Shelby,

R-Ala., told Azar, Trump's top health official. The two faced each other at a budget hearing that turned into a forum for assessing U.S. readiness.

Shelby said if the virus keeps spreading, "it could be an existential threat to a lot of people in this country." He chairs the powerful Appropriations Committee, which sets spending levels for federal agencies.

Azar said that nearly two months after the first alarms were raised, there's no evidence the virus has spread here beyond patients infected overseas and a few close relatives. He credited travel controls and mandatory quarantines, adding that government scientists are working to develop a vaccine and to perfect a test for detecting the virus.

"We cannot hermetically seal off the United States to a virus and we need to be realistic about that," the health chief acknowledged. "We'll have more cases in the United States, and we've been very transparent about that." If it happens, "we'll work to mitigate those."

Democratic Sen. Patty Mur-

ray of Washington said the administration's handling of the crisis has been "unacceptable."

"We cannot afford to plan on the cheap or at the last minute," she said.

"I'm deeply concerned that we are way behind the eight-ball on this," she added.

In an indication of the challenges, Azar said the government currently has stockpiled 30 million special N95 respirator masks but 300 million would be needed to protect health care workers in an outbreak.

Azar told senators that U.S. cases currently total 57.

That includes 14 who either traveled to China or were close relatives of travelers; three Americans repatriated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak in China; and 40 passengers returned home from the cruise ship Diamond Princess.

The White House budget office said the $2.5 billion would be used for vaccine development, treatment and protective equipment, but Democrats immediately slammed the request as insufficient. q

Banks made $233.1 billion in profits in 2019, regulator says

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The banking industry collectively made $233.1 billion in profits in 2019, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said Tuesday, the industry's second-most profitable year ever.

The slight drop in profits from 2018 is due to the drop in interest rates, which happened in the second half of last year. The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate three times, in an effort to shore up the U.S. economy, which was facing difficulties from the U.S.-China trade war and a slowing manufacturing sector.

The small drop in profits is the first time the banking industry saw a full-year drop in profits since 2013.

In this Nov. 23, 2015 file photo, a customer uses an ATM at a Bank of America in New York.

Associated Press

The impact of interest rates were more noticeable in the fourth quarter. Bank profits in the last three months of the year were down nearly 7% from a year earlier, mostly due lower interest income.

The FDIC's look at the banking industry reflects

a healthy — and incredibly profitable — industry.

The number of "problem banks," or banks that are at risk of failing, fell to 51 in the fourth quarter.

That's the lowest number of problem banks since 2006, right before the financial crisis.q

U.S. NEWS A3

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Study begins in U.S. to test possible coronavirus treatment search plan published last month, the World Health Organization said remdesivir was considered "the most promising candidate."

It was used briefly in some Ebola patients in Congo before that study stopped.

Dr. Andre Kalil, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, speaks in Omaha, Neb., Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020.

Associated Press

By JOSH FUNK Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The first clinical trial in the U.S. of a possible coronavirus treatment is underway in Nebraska and is eventually expected to include 400 patients at 50 locations around the world, officials said Tuesday.

Half of the patients in the international study will receive the antiviral medicine remdesivir while the other half will receive a placebo. Several other studies, including one looking at the same drug, are already underway internationally.

Dr. Andre Kalil, who will oversee the study at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said the clinical trial was developed quickly in response to the virus outbreak that originated in China. Patients who are hospitalized with the COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, will be eligible to join the trial if they have at least moderate symptoms.

"The goal here is to help the people that need it the most," Kalil said.

Fourteen people who were evacuated from a cruise ship in Japan are being treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Twelve of them have tested positive for COVID-19.

There are no proven treatments or vaccines for the new and mysterious virus, which has infected more than 80,000 people worldwide and killed more than 2,700, with the overwhelming majority of cases in China.

Doctors give patients fluids and pain relievers to try to ease the symptoms, which can include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

In the case of those who are severely ill, doctors use ventilators to help them breathe or a machine that pumps and oxygenates their blood outside the body, easing the burden on the heart and lungs.

At least two patient studies are already underway in China, including the other study involving remdesivir, which is made by Gilead Sciences, and another that tests a combination HIV drug containing lopinavir and ritonavir. In a draft re-

But the WHO cited laboratory studies that suggested it might be able to target SARS and MERS, which are cousins of the new virus.

Gilead has provided the drug for use in a small number of patients, including a

man in Washington state who fell ill after a trip to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak. He is no longer hospitalized, but it is not clear whether the remdesivir helped him.q

A4 U.S.

Wednesday 26 February 2020

NEWS

Dems thwart Senate Republicans on 2 abortion-related bills

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020.

Associated Press

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a pair of Republican bills that would ban most late-term abortions and threaten prison for doctors who don't try saving the life of infants born

alive during abortions.

The measures have been defeated multiple times in recent years, but Senate Republicans pushed for renewed votes to allow GOP lawmakers to make an election-year appeal to conservative voters.

Senate Majority Leader

Mitch McConnell accused Democrats of bowing to "the radical demands of the far left" to "drown out common sense" and the views of millions of Americans.

"It almost defies belief that an entire political party could find cause to object to this basic protection for babies,'' the Kentucky Republican said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer blasted McConnell for taking up the Senate's time on what he called "fake, dishonest and extreme legislation that has nothing to do with improving the lives of ordinary Americans.''

Noting that existing laws protect infants, Schumer

said the GOP bills would, in effect, "criminalize" women's reproductive care and intimidate health care providers.

"Putting these already defeated bills up for a show vote is not a good faith attempt to improve the lives of ... American women,'' the New York Democrat said. "Every single Senate Republican knows that these bills cannot and will not pass. But they're putting them on the floor anyway to pander to the hard right. And to cover up the fact that they won't provide good health care for women.'' Senators voted 56-41 for the born-alive bill, and 53-44 for a separate measure banning most abortions after 20 weeks.

Both tallies were short of the 60 votes needed to end Democratic delaying tactics and force a Senate vote. Democratic Sens.

Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Doug Jones of Alabama and Joe Manchin from West Virginia were the only lawmakers to cross party lines on the born-alive bill.

Jones and GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska opposed the late-term abortion ban.

Three senators seeking the Democratic nomination for president — Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota - did not cast votes.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the Senate debate was not about passing laws or even health care. "It is really about Republicans' crass political calculation that they can fire up their far-right base with an allout war against the constitutionally protected right to safe, legal abortion,''

she said. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said the bill he sponsored was not about limiting access to abortion at all. Instead, the bill is intended to make sure that every newborn baby "has a fighting chance — whether she's born in a labor and delivery ward or whether she's born in an abortion clinic."

Sasse's bill would make it a crime to deny care to a baby that's survived an abortion. "Are we a country that protects babies that are alive, born outside the womb after having survived a botched abortion?'' he asked.

A separate bill sponsored

by Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., would essentially ban abortion after 20 weeks, the point at which many scientists say an unborn child can feel pain.

Graham said he believe a majority of Americans oppose allowing abortion in the fifth month of pregnancy. The United States is currently one of seven countries in the world that permit elective abortion after 20 weeks.

"The United States should not be in that club,'' Graham said.

The two votes marked the latest instance in which Republicans have tried to go on offense on the issue of abortion and put Democratic lawmakers who support abortion rights in an uncomfortable position.

"It's hard to believe that, in 21st century America, the life of a baby more than halfway through pregnancy is considered up for debate, but it's true,'' said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a group that works to elect anti-abortion candidates.q

U.S. NEWS A5

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Indian nation destroys own buildings over leadership dispute

By CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press A leadership dispute within the Cayuga Indian Nation took a stunning turn over the weekend when nation leader Clint Halftown sent bulldozers to demolish a working daycare center, store, schoolhouse and other buildings controlled by tribe members who oppose his authority.

In response to the surprise, dead-of-night show of power, several Cayuga families who oppose Halftown have sent their children out of town, fearing the bulldozers will come next for their homes in a dispute that is dividing families and confounding local authorities, who say they are powerless to intercede in the sovereign nation's issues. The early morning raids by tribal law enforcement Saturday reduced a dozen buildings in the town of Seneca Falls to hulking piles of lumber and drywall, drawing condemnation from local and federal officials who called the action domestic terrorism.

"They came in there with drawn handguns, put them to the heads of the security people who were in the buildings and told them if they moved they would be shot. And they destroyed these buildings," said attorney Joe Heath, who represents a faction of traditional Cayuga members who split with tribal leadership about 20 years ago in a dispute over casino gambling.

The anti-Halftown Unity Council in 2014 claimed control of some of the buildings that were destroyed early Saturday.

Halftown said the nation was retaking possession of stolen property.

Halftown is the federally recognized leader of the roughly 500-member western New York tribe. He said in a statement Saturday that he had demolished the structures to prevent them from becoming "a target for any further friction in the community going forward."

Halftown has not responded to requests for an interview. Leanna Young, a mother of four who managed the destroyed convenience store, said 32 children from Cayuga families have been sent to live away from Cayuga-owned houses over concerns that the nation's police could return to knock down their homes. Young sent her three youngest children to stay with relatives out of town.

She said many families had been at the school house, teaching their children how to pound and wash corn and tap maple trees for their sap, the night before it was wrecked to the ground.

"We all woke up on Saturday to find it all demolished. It's heartbreaking," said Young, part of the group that opposes gambling and favors the preservation of Cayuga history

In this Feb. 22, 2020. photo, two men stand near a partially demolished building on the Cayuga Indian Nation in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Associated Press

and traditions, including a leadership structure of clan mothers and chiefs, rather than a single leader.

Young said her brother was working security when the Cayuga Nation police pulled him from his car at 2 a.m. Saturday, bound his hands with zip ties and detained him while the bulldozers moved in and destroyed the businesses that support Halftown detractors, which also include a cannery, ice cream and miniature golf business, and several cottages.

Seven people were detained in the process. All but one, who allegedly was found to possess drugs, were released.

In Seneca Falls, best known as the birth place of the women's rights movement, the divide between the

Cayugas widened in the early 2000s amid disagreement over Halftown's push to build a resort casino in the Catskill Mountains.

After his opponents took control of several properties six years ago, the Cayuga Indian Nation sought to recover them through a state court lawsuit, but the state's highest court ruled New York could not get involved in a sovereign nation's leadership dispute.

A decision by the U.S. Interior Department in November recognized Halftown as the federal representative of the tribe and his council as "the nation's government for all purposes."

The rulings have tied the hands of local police.

"To look back and say, 'How can they do that?' — It's just not that simple for us," Sen-

eca Falls Police Chief Stuart Peenstra said. "Normally we would not allow that. But in these instances ... we have to allow that, and it doesn't settle well with us either but we have to stick by the letter of the law."

Sen. Charles Schumer has demanded an investigation by the Department of Justice and Department of the Interior, which governs tribal issues, saying the nation surely must have broken some law.

The Seneca County Board of Supervisors, in the meantime, has passed resolutions seeking an investigation by the U.S. Attorney in Buffalo, the deployment of U.S. Marshals and the freezing of federal funds to the Cayuga Indian Nation until the issues have been resolved.q

A6 U.S.

Wednesday 26 February 2020

NEWS

AP-NORC poll: Most Americans support Equal Rights Amendment

In this Jan. 14, 2020, file photo, an Equal Rights Amendment supporters yell encouragement to two legislators as they walk down a hallway inside the state Capitol in Richmond, Va. Associated Press

By MARYCLAIRE DALE and JOCELYN NOVECK Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — LaVonne Hirashima had two children by the time she was 20 and no time to get a college degree.

Instead, the single parent doubled down at work and built a stable career in information technology, and now works for a government contractor.

Still, Hirashima, 48, said she lost out on promotions and pay raises because she's not part of the boys club in the male-dominated IT world. Those experiences shape her deep support for the Equal Rights Amendment, the change to the U.S. Constitution proposed five decades ago to ban discrimination on the basis of sex.

"I can express an idea or make suggestions, but it's still not taken (seriously)," said Hirashima, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who is now married with three sons. "As more women come into management I think it will change, but it's hard. It's hard to change that culture."

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

shows that roughly 3 in 4 Americans support the gender equality amendment, which is now back before Congress following Virginia's ratification of the measure in January. But nearly the same amount, 72%, incorrectly believe the Constitution now guarantees men and women equal rights under the law.

"Wow, that's amazing," said Demetria Fraley, a 33-yearold mother of six in Raleigh, North Carolina, when told there is no such explicit constitutional guarantee.

"I never knew that. ... I'm thinking, things are changing, but apparently they're not."

The ERA, which would stipulate that equal rights cannot be denied or curtailed on the basis of gender, is back in the headlines because Virginia became the 38th state to ratify it — satisfying the requirement that three-quarters of states approve it following Congress' passage of the measure in 1972.

However, legal hurdles could yet keep the ERA from becoming the 28th amendment. Congress initially required the states ratify it by 1977, a deadline they later extended to 1982.

Some women's groups argue that deadline should not be seen as binding, and while the Democratcontrolled House will likely extend the deadline again, the Republican-controlled Senate may balk. Another legal obstacle: a move by five states in the 1970s to rescind their initial ratification of the amendment.

The ERA also faces bitter opposition from conservative activists who see it as endangering their stances on abortion and transgender rights. However, while the poll did find a significant partisan gap in views of the ERA's adoption, majorities across party lines are in support. Nearly 9 in 10 Democrats, compared with about 6 in 10 Republicans, say they are in favor.

Frances Wiener, 70, said she was very involved with the ERA campaign when it first started out. "I still have my bracelet, one of those metal bracelets that says 'ERA,'" said Wiener, of Brooklyn, New York, who pursued a science career after graduating from college 50 years ago, working in hospital laboratories, and chose not to have a family.

She believes women face less discrimination now

than they did then, a view shared by about 7 in 10 Americans, according to the poll. That compares with about 2 in 10 who think things are the same and roughly 1 in 10 who feel women face more discrimination today.

Still, Wiener hopes the ERA is finally adopted.

"Sometimes, when things are really written in stone, it makes people think a little bit harder about doing certain things. It gives it more teeth," she said.

The poll shows nearly half of Americans, 46%, share Hirashima's view that women have a tougher time getting high-paying jobs.

Among those who disagree is Gerald Havens, of Springfield, Missouri, who called the ERA "an outdated amendment." The 56-year-old retired postal service employee believes the women in his family — including his wife, a daughter in banking, and his sister and niece — have earned the same as men in their fields. "I think society has moved on from when it was introduced in the 1970s," said Havens, a Republican.

About half of Americans think ratifying the ERA would have a positive impact on

the country, though about 4 in 10 feel it wouldn't make much of a difference and about 1 in 10 say it would be harmful. Nearly twothirds think its impact on women would be positive; about 2 in 10 feel it would negatively affect men.

Even if added to the Constitution, the ERA would not on its own bar workplace discrimination. Still, the poll found that women are more likely than men to think the impact on the country — and on them personally — will be positive.

"We'd feel more equal," said Fraley, a Democrat, who said she has experienced employment discrimination in the construction field. "Some men just think that women can't do what (we know) they can do. So if a woman goes and does their job, it's like you're messing with their ego."

In terms of careers in politics, nearly 4 in 10 said they think women have fewer opportunities than men, while about as many say it's a level playing field. About a quarter think women today have more political opportunities.

"I think if a lot of women and minority women got out there and voted, we could have a woman president.

Who would have thought Barack Obama would be elected president?" said Kathleen Wolfe, 73, of York, Pennsylvania, whose work for the Mattel Co. included interviewing consumers about the company's iconic Barbie dolls, the subject of frequent feminist attacks – and some praise — over the years.

Hirashima, a moderate Democrat, thought that for sure Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 presidential election. Then she heard someone on TV say he would never vote for a woman — and sensed the race was over.

"Other countries have a female leader and are successful," she said. "I don't see why we can't be that forward thinking, but I don't think our country as a whole is ready for that."q

U.S. NEWS A7

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Mom of 2 missing Idaho kids wants $5 million bail reduced

This booking photo provided

by Kauai police shows Lori Vallow.

Associated Press

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — A mother arrested in Hawaii over the disappearance of her two Idaho children wants a judge to reconsider her $5 million bail.

A court hearing for her request is scheduled Wednesday on Kauai, where Lori Vallow was arrested last week on an Idaho warrant.

She has been charged with two felony counts of child abandonment.

Seven-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan have not been seen since September.

Their disappearance captured worldwide attention after authorities pleaded for help in finding them late last year. Police in the city of Rexburg, Idaho, have said they "strongly believe that Joshua and Tylee's lives are in danger."

Bail for the equivalent felonies in Hawaii usually range from $2,000 to $20,000, Vallow's attorney, Craig De Costa said in a court motion seeking a reduction in bail. She isn't a flight risk and had offered to turn herself in to authorities before her arrest on Thursday, the mo-

tion said. Daniel Dempey, a lawyer who represented Vallow at Friday's hearing, asked for bail to be lowered to $10,000.

The judge has discretion to set bail, Kauai prosecutor said in a court filing opposing Vallow's request.

Vallow is a flight risk, prosecutors said. "Given the extensive media attention, she is clearly aware that the authorities have prioritized her case," prosecutors said. "She also has the means to move across an ocean."

Prosecutors noted that Vallow's husband, Chad Daybell, had $152,000 in a First Hawaiian Bank account.

Police also have said Vallow and Daybell have lied about the children's whereabouts.

Vallow also is accused of disobeying a court order that required her to bring her children to Idaho authorities last month.

The tangled case includes investigations into three deaths. Vallow's estranged husband, Charles Vallow, was shot and killed in Phoenix last July by her brother, Alex Cox. Then Cox, who claimed the shooting was in self-defense, died of unknown causes in December.

Vallow moved her family to Idaho in late August. In October, Chad Daybell's wife, Tammy Daybell, died of what her obituary said was natural causes. When Daybell married Vallow roughly two weeks after Tammy's death, law enforcement became suspicious and had her remains exhumed.

Test results on Daybell's remains and toxicology results for Cox have not yet been released.q

Body cam captures 6-year-old’s tearful pleas during arrest Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A police officer's body camera shows a 6-year-old Florida girl crying and begging officers not to arrest her as one fastens zip ties around her wrists at a charter school. The video that Kaia Rolle's family shared with the Orlando Sentinel and other media outlets Monday shows the girl being arrested in September for kicking and punching staff members at her Orlando charter school.

"What are those for?" Kaia asks about the zip ties in the video.

"They're for you," Officer Dennis Turner says before another officer tightens them around her wrists and Kaia begins weeping.

Turner was fired shortly after the arrest. Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said at the time that Turner, a reserve officer, didn't follow department policy of getting the approval of a watch commander to arrest someone younger than 12.

"Help me. Help me, please!"

Kaia pleads through tears.

As she is being walked to the vehicle, she cries, "I don't want to go in a police car." The second officer, who has not been identified, responds, "You don't want to? ... You have to." "Please, give me a second chance," Kaia says.

The video shows the officer lifting the sobbing girl into the back seat of the police vehicle and putting a seat belt around her.

A short time later, Turner returns to the office to talk to Lucious & Emma Nixon Academy administrators, who appear dismayed by what they have witnessed in the school office.

In this image taken from Sept. 19, 2019, Orlando Police Department body camera video footage, Orlando Police Officer Dennis Turner leads 6-year-old Kaia Rolle away after her arrest for kicking and punching staff members at the Lucious & Emma Nixon Academy Charter School in Orlando, Fla. Associated Press

The officer tells them that the juvenile detention center where Kaia was headed is "not like you think." Turner tells the administrators he has made 6,000 arrests, including a 7-year-old.

Turner had worked in the police agency's reserve unit, which is mostly made up of retired officers who pick up extra-duty jobs for pay. Because he was a reserve officer, he was not a member of the collective bargaining unit, and the

police union didn't represent him, Shawn Dunlap of the Fraternal Order of Police Orlando Lodge 25, said in an email Tuesday.

School resource officers came under close scrutiny in Florida after former Broward Deputy Scot Peterson failed to engage a shooter at a Parkland high school in 2018. He was charged last year with child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury. That case is ongoing.q

A8 WORLD

Wednesday 26 February 2020

NEWS

Brazilian politicians avoid Carnival as they become targets

By ANNA JEAN KAISER Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — At Rio's annual Carnival celebration Monday night, comedian and composer Marcelo Adnet stood atop a float for the Sao Clemente samba school dressed in a sequin suit imitating Brazil's far-right president.

He mimicked Jair Bolsonaro's signature finger-gun gesture while dancers surrounded him holding picket signs making fun of some of the president's quotes, including his accusation that actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio was responsible for the Amazon fires in 2019.

The previous night, the Mangueira samba school also took a jab at Bolsonaro, for his advocacy for looser gun laws.

Part of the lyrics of their samba song rang out, "No messiah with a gun in his hands" — a reference to Bolsonaro's middle name, Messias.

But Bolsonaro himself was nowhere to be seen at the country's most famous party.

Performers from the Sao Clemente samba school parade on a float during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020.

Associated Press

Instead, he was posting videos of him at the beach and sharing some of the few positive tributes partygoers were making to him on social media.

Likewise, other politicians once more passed on the opportunity to see and be seen in Rio's parade, ending a tradition that had

lasted decades with important revelers from both the political left and the right.

While the Carnival parade used to be a chance for Brazilian politicians to bask in the reflected glory of the celebration, today they often find themselves at the center of samba schools' criticisms and so are avoid-

ing Brazil's largest cultural show.

"Carnival is becoming more

and more critical," said Igor Capanema, a participant in the parade Monday night.

"The schools are going more in a direction for us to make these important criticisms about what we are living, where we are living, why we're living this and who we're talking about."

Rio's Sambadrome was inaugurated in 1984, at a time Brazil's military dictatorship was nearing its end.

At first local politicians were the only ones attending.

But it all changed in 1994 when President Itamar Franco, who had inherited the presidency with the impeachment of Fernando Collor, decided to go to the Sambadrome to add a popular touch to his quiet persona.

Continued on Page 12

People raise their hands and drums as they rally in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs opposed to the Costal GasLink Pipeline, in Ottawa, on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020.

Associated Press

New rail blockades in Canada emerge as talks continue HAMILTON, Ontario (AP) — Protesters erected new rail blockades Tuesday as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government said it was working to calm tensions with a British Columbia First Nation at the heart of demonstrations disrupting train traffic across Canada.

A day after police dismantled a major railway blockade near Belleville, Ontario, new ones surfaced in both Quebec and Ontario.

The largest emerged in Hamilton along a heavily traveled commuter rail line.

The disruption along what the Go Transit passenger rail service describes as its busiest route left thousands

of passengers scrambling to make alternative travel plans and caused numerous delays and cancellations.

Hamilton police said they had no plans to move in on the small group of demonstrators camped out on the tracks near a Canadian National Railway Co. depot.

Demonstrators have set up blockades in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec in solidarity with opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that crosses the traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation in northwestern British Columbia. q

WORLD NEWS A9

Wednesday 26 February 2020

6 European nations report virus cases with Italy link BERLIN (AP) — Six European countries announced cases of COVID-19 disease Tuesday in people who had recently traveled from northern Italy, where the virus emerged as a fastgrowing cluster last week.

For Switzerland, Austria and Croatia it was the first confirmed new coronavirus cases in those countries. Germany, France and Spain, which had previously reported cases, confirmed new infections in people who were from or had visited northern Italy.

A 70-year-old man from Switzerland's southern canton (state) of Ticino, which borders Italy, tested positive after returning from a trip to Milan, the head of the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health said.

The man is being isolated at a clinic in Lugano while authorities try to trace anyone he had contact with, Pascal Strupler said. It is the first case in Switzerland, but Strupler said it was likely the country would see more in future.

Croatia also confirmed its first case Tuesday in a man who had traveled to Milan.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said it's a "younger man, with a mild form of the disease" and that he has "been isolated and his condition is good."

Authorities in the western Austrian state of Tyrol said the country's first two cases involved a woman and a man, both 24-years-old and from the Bergamo area in Lombardy. They

A health worker takes notes at the infectious disease clinic in Zagreb, Croatia, where the first coronavirus case in Croatia is hospitalized, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020.

Associated Press

had driven to Austria in their private car on Friday, the same day the coronavirus cases in Italy spiked.

The woman fell ill Saturday and developed a fever Sunday, said Guenter Weiss, a senior doctor at Innsbruck's university hospital. The woman's boyfriend got a fever and a sore throat Sunday.

The couple reported themselves to authorities late Monday. Both are in a stable condition with only mild symptoms but will be kept in isolation until the weekend, said Weiss. "We have to work on the assumption that due to the proximity to Italy, one or the other case may still come," he added.

Franz Katzgraber, the head of the Tyrol state health department, said authorities are currently tracing possible contacts the patients may have had in Austria.

Local daily Tiroler Tageszeitung reported that the woman worked at a hotel in the center of Innsbruck,

which was temporarily ordered closed.

Herbert Kickl of Austria's opposition far-right Freedom Party immediately called for border crossings to be "reduced to a minimum."

"Everything must be done to stop the virus from spreading further in Austria," said Kickl, who also called for illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers to be put in quarantine.

But Italy's health minister, Roberto Speranza, said late Tuesday after meeting with counterparts from neighboring countries including Austria, Switzerland and Croatia that they had agreed closing borders would be "inappropriate."

Yet even as European countries tried frantically to coordinate their response, Italy reported a spike in the number of confirmed cases of the virus Tuesday to 322 — 100 more than a day earlier — and four more deaths, bringing the total to 11.q

A man holds up a banner reading, ''They pay us little and they charge us more. If we are united they will can no longer. Without fields there is no life'' during a protest in Pamplona, northern Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020.

Associated Press

Spain tries to appease protesting farmers over unfair prices MADRID (AP) — The Spanish government has introduced new regulations on the pricing of food in supermarkets, in response to weeks of country-wide farmers' protests over plummeting incomes.

Under the new rules, adopted under a royal decree Tuesday by ministers in Spain's left-wing governing coalition, contracts between farmers and the companies distributing vegetables, fruit and meat will have to reflect the costs of production and require that the final retail prices can't be lower than those.

The changes, which don't need parliamentary approval, came on another day of protests as thousands of farmers took to the streets around the southern province of Jaén and in Alicante, in eastern Spain, blocking highways with

tractors and burning boxes of agricultural produce.

Spain's 2-month-old government has faced almost daily protestsfor the past month by farmers who complained that what they get paid for their products is often below their production costs.

Agriculture Minister Lluis Planas said the new regulations represent a response to "the legitimate concerns by farmers and cattle breeders."

"A great part of those concerns were reasonable and had to be addressed," he told reporters at a regular briefing following the weekly Cabinet meeting.

One exception to the new rules relates to the promotional sale of food products with looming expiration dates, in line with the country's long term goals to cut on food waste.q

A10 WORLD

Wednesday 26 February 2020

NEWS

China sentences Swedish bookseller to 10 years in prison

By YANAN WANG and JAN M. OLSEN Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — A court in eastern China has sentenced a Swedish seller of books that took a skeptical look at the ruling Communist Party to 10 years in prison for "illegally providing intelligence overseas," in a further sign of Beijing's hard line toward its critics.

Gui Minhai first disappeared in 2015, when he was believed to have been abducted by Chinese agents from his seaside home in Thailand. He and four others who worked for the same Hong Kong publishing company all went missing at around the same time, only to turn up months later in police custody in mainland China.

The Ningbo Intermediate People's Court announced Tuesday that it gave Gui, a naturalized Swedish citizen, a 10-year prison sentence.

Gui admitted to his crime, agreed with the sentence and will not appeal, the court said.

For years, Gui sold gossipy books about Chinese leaders in the semi-autonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong.

His was among a spate of high-profile disappearances that stirred unease over the central government's growing reach in Hong Kong, a former British colony that has been promised greater democratic rights than are afforded the mainland.

China maintains tight control over all information and brooks no criticism of its ruling Communist Party.

It has detained scores of lawyers, writers and public intellectuals. In recent months, police have reprimanded medical workers who warned about the ongoing outbreak of a new virus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Amnesty International's China researcher Patrick Poon said the verdict demonstrated that "the Chinese authorities are not letting the coronavirus crisis distract them from repressing dissidents."

"Despite the authorities' claim that Gui has somehow handed over 'intelligence' while in their custody, the reason for his targeting almost certainly relates to his attempted trip to Beijing with two Swedish

In this June 18, 2016, file photo, a picture of missing bookseller Gui Minhai is shown on a placard beside freed Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, as the protesters are marching to the Chinese central government's liaison office in Hong Kong.

Associated Press

diplomats in 2018," Poon said in an emailed statement.

The court claims that Gui, who was born in Ningbo, applied to reinstate his Chinese citizenship in 2018.

That would mean renouncing his Swedish citizenship, as China does not officially allow dual citizenship.

He was initially released into house arrest in Ningbo, then police detained him once again while he and two Swedish diplomats were on a train together bound for Beijing.

"We have noted the reports and are now seeking official confirmation about the case," the Swedish Foreign Ministry said in an email to The Associated Press. "We have consistently made it clear that we demand Gui Minhai be released so that he can be reunited with his daughter and family."

The foreign ministry said that Sweden was not given access to the trial, and that officials there were unable to review the indictment or offer Gui access to legal counsel.

"We demand – once again – that we immediately be given consular access," the ministry said.

Gui's arrest has been a source of friction between Beijing and Stockholm.

In November, Sweden's culture minister awarded the bookseller the annual Tucholsky literary prize despite a threat from the Chinese ambassador to ban her from entering the country.

Standing next to Gui's empty seat at a ceremony in Stockholm, Culture Minister Amanda Lind said it was "crucial for culture and democracy that artists and authors can work freely."

Human rights groups have repeatedly accused China of extracting forced confessions from individuals it perceives to be opponents of the Communist Party's rule.

"We demand Gui Minhai's release," Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told Sweden's public broadcaster SVT. She stressed that Sweden was not informed about the trial and that the country will use "all diplomatic tools" to protest.q

Thousands caught in floods in Indonesia's sinking capital

By NINIEK KARMINI Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Floods that have crippled much of Indonesia's capital worsened Tuesday, inundating thousands of homes and buildings, including the presidential palace, and paralyzing transport networks, officials and witnesses said.

Overnight rains caused more rivers to burst their banks in greater Jakarta starting Sunday, sending muddy water up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) deep into more residential and commercial areas, said Agus Wibowo, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency's spokesman.

Floodwaters entered parts of Indonesia's presidential palace complex Tuesday morning but the situation was brought under control

with water pumps, said Bey Machmudin, an official at the Presidential Office.

The heavy downpour that hit the capital on Sunday had submerged the staterun Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital, the country's largest hospital, damaging medical machines and equipment, Wibowo said.

Wibowo said the floods on Tuesday inundated scores of districts and left more than 300 people homeless, forced authorities to cut off electricity and paralyzed transportation, including commuter lines, as floodwaters reached as high as 1.5 meters (5 feet) in places.

Television footage showed soldiers and rescuers in rubber boats struggling to evacuate children and the elderly who were holding out on the roofs of their

Indonesians wade through flood water on a street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020.

Associated Press

squalid houses.

Indonesia's meteorological agency is predicting rain for the next two weeks.

The flooding has highlighted Indonesia's infrastructure problems.

Jakarta is home to 10 million people, with a total of 30 million in its greater met-

ropolitan area. It is prone to earthquakes and flooding and is rapidly sinking due to uncontrolled extraction of groundwater. Congestion is also estimated to cost the economy $6.5 billion a year.

President Joko Widodo announced in August that the

capital will move to a site in sparsely populated East Kalimantan province on Borneo island, known for rainforests and orangutans.

Severe flooding and landslides that hit greater Jakarta early last month killed more than 60 people, displaced hundreds of thousands and forced an airport to close.

Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan, who was criticized when massive floods struck the city last month, blamed widespread deforestation in the southern hills, saying it had destroyed water catchment areas.

Seasonal downpours cause dozens of landslides and flash floods each year in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile plains.q

WORLD NEWS A11

Wednesday 26 February 2020

East Africa's huge locust outbreak now spreads to Congo KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A small group of desert locusts has entered Congo, marking the first time the voracious insects have been seen in the Central African country since 1944, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Agency said Tuesday as U.N. agencies warned of a "major hunger threat" in East Africa from the flying pests.

Kenya, Somalia and Uganda have been battling the swarms in the worst locust outbreak that parts of East Africa have seen in 70 years. The U.N. said swarms have also been sighted in Djibouti, Eritrea and Tanzania and recently reached South Sudan, a country where roughly half the population already faces hunger after years of civil war.

A joint statement Tuesday from FAO director-general Qu Dongyu, U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, and World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley called the swarms of locusts "a scourge of

In this photo taken Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, desert locusts jump up from the ground and fly away as a cameraman walks past, in Nasuulu Conservancy, northern Kenya.

Associated Press

biblical proportions" and "a graphic and shocking reminder of this region's vulnerability."

The FAO said mature locusts, carried in part by the wind, arrived on the west-

ern shore of Lake Albert in eastern Congo on Friday near the town of Bunia. The country has not seen locusts for 75 years, it said.

"Needless to say the potential impact of locusts on a

country still grappling with complex conflict, Ebola and measles outbreaks, high levels of displacement, and chronic food insecurity would be devastating," the U.N. officials said in the joint

statement.

Locust swarms can reach the size of major cities and can destroy crops and devastate pasture for animals.

Experts have warned that the outbreak is affecting millions of already vulnerable people across the region.

Uganda's government said Tuesday it was trying to contain a large swarm and will need more resources to control the infestation that has spread to over 20 districts in the north. Soldiers have been battling swarms using hand-held spray pumps, while experts have said aerial spraying is the only effective control.

The U.N. recently raised its aid appeal from $76 million to $138 million, saying the need for more help is urgent.

"This funding will ensure that activities to control the locusts can take place before new swarms emerge," the U.N. officials said, noting that to date only $33 million has been received or committed.q

Officials say US airstrike kills telecom worker in Somalia

By ABDI GULED Associated Press MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A U.S. military airstrike has killed a worker for a telecom company in Somalia, officials in the country said Tuesday.

Mohamud Haji Sirad, 55, a local manager of Hormuud, Somalia's largest telecom company, was killed when two missiles struck his farm on the outskirts of the rebelheld town of Jilib on Monday, Somali officials said.

Both the U.S. Africa Com-

mand and Somalia's government said the airstrike killed a member of the alQaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group. But officials at Hormuud said the airstrike killed their local manager in Jilib.

A Somali intelligence official said the man targeted by the airstrike appeared to have been on the security radar, but he declined to confirm whether officials were aware that their target was a telecom worker.

The official spoke on condi-

tion of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Somali authorities have long accused some businessmen of having ties with al-Shabab, which extorts significant amounts of money from businesses to finance its activities in the Horn of Africa nation.

The U.S. Africa Command statement said that "we currently assess no civilians were injured or killed as a result of this airstrike" that was carried out in coordi-

nation with Somalia's government.

In a separate statement, the U.S. Africa Command said an airstrike it carried out Saturday killed a senior al-Shabab leader associated with the group's deadly attack in January on a military airstrip in Kenya that killed a U.S. service member and two U.S. contractors and destroyed several U.S. aircraft.

The man organized and directed operations in the border region between Ke-

nya and Somalia, the statement said, adding that his wife, also an al-Shabab member, was killed.

The United States has carried out a growing number of airstrikes against alShabab during President Donald Trump's administration. Some have been followed by allegations of civilians killed.

The U.S. says it carried out 63 airstrikes in Somalia last year. At least a dozen have been carried out this year against al-Shabab.q

A12 WORLD

Wednesday 26 February 2020

NEWS

Brazilian politicians Continued from Page 8

During the parades, he was photographed hand in hand with a reveler.

The military did not like the images from that night because the young woman next to Franco was not wearing any underwear, which they considered undignified for a president.

But politicians quickly noticed Franco had become more popular because of Carnival.

His successors — Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff — all attended the parade, either on the job or during election campaigns.

And so did their opponents.

"Politicians are a bit afraid of the people," Carlos Lupi, president of Brazil's Labor Democratic Party, told journalists at the Sambadrome.

Lupi has attended every parade for almost two decades and comes on the floor with several samba schools. He said that since the mammoth "Car Wash" corruption investigation that has ensnared dozens from the government and business elite, he has seen fewer politicians at Carnival events.

"People don't want to take pictures with politicians anymore," Lupi said.

Sergio Praça, a political

scientist at Getulio Vargas Foundation University, said barbs from the samba school have become more pointed.

"Carnival has always been political, but the criticisms used to be more broad," he said. "In recent years, we've seen the criticisms become more personalized and go after specific politicians."

He noted deeply unpopular ex-President Michel Temer was portrayed as a "neoliberal vampire" with dollar bills coming out of his collar.

Bolsonaro is the leader of Brazil's sharp swing toward rightist, conservative politicians who tend to reject Carnival as debauchery and excessive. The country is also slowly recovering from a brutal recession and is about to enter the seventh year of the sweeping "Car Wash"corruption scandal. "Things haven't been good in Brazil for several years, so politicians being seen at these parties with lots of celebration and alcohol would look bad," Praça said.

Rio's mayor, Marcelo Crivella, an evangelical bishop, has gained infamy among Carnival's revelers for cutting the budget for the samba schools' elaborate parades and failing to participate in a traditional,

Performers from the Sao Clemente samba school parade during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020.

Associated Press

light-hearted ceremony at which the mayor turns over the key to the city to the King of Carnival. Since taking office, he has never shown up at the Sambadrome — this year, the fourth and final year of his first term, was no different.

"People always say, 'The mayor doesn't like Carnival, the mayor's a person of God who wants to put an end to our party,'" Crivella complained to reporters Friday.

"I've been a person of God since I was a child, but I respect everyone," he added, saying he watched that night's parade from a nearby security center instead

Mexicans protest “private beach” at Playa del Carmen resort MEXICO CITY (AP) — With chants of “Free beach!”and waving placards, banners and Mexican flags, hundreds of protesters staged a symbolic beach party on a stretch of sand in the Caribbean resort of Playa del Carmen where two Mexican tourists were briefly arrested last week for refusing to leave the beach.

A private “beach club” known as Mamita’s had been charging to use lounge chairs placed almost up to the water’s edge, and it called municipal police when the couple refused to leave what the club called “a service

aisle” on the sand. Video posted on social media showed the couple being handcuffed and wrestled off the beach by police as other people objected, noting beach access is protected by law.

Sunday’s protest was billed as a “Mass Picnic,” in which largely local people installed themselves on the stretch of sand in front of the restaurant with beach umbrellas, towels and food.

Activists used a large measuring tape to determine the 20 meters (yards) of “free” beach space.

Federal law states the public cannot be denied access to a space 20 me-

ters inland from the high tide line. In a statement, the beach club had said, “On Feb. 16, a couple laid down to sunbathe in an aisle that exists expressly for the transit of our guests and staff, and for that reason they were kindly asked to move somewhere else ... their reacted with threats and insults.”

The mayor of Playa del Carmen, Laura Beristain, apologized to the two tourists and embraced them. The two were quickly released, and Beristain said the officers who arrested them would be placed under investigation for improper use of force.q

of inside the Sambadrome.

Rio de Janeiro state Gov. Wilson Witzel made what local press called a "discreet" appearance at the Sambodrome on Sunday, entering the runway briefly only to be booed by the crowd and retreat.

The Sao Clemente school's last float on Monday night was called "the fake news factory" and was led by a giant puppet of Pinochio and included a huge cellphone screen exchanging WhatsApp messages of misinformation that has flown around far-right social networks.

"Brazil posted, went viral, didn't even look! And the

entire country did the samba, fell victim fake news!" part of the school's samba lyrics read.

Bolsonaro was elected at the end of 2018 on a campaign largely run on social media, and his opponents have accused him of disseminating misinformation.

The Brazilian fact-checking site Aos Fatos says it has tallied 691 misleading or false claims by the president since he took office in January 2019. "This isn't a protest against politics, but against bad politicians who lie to get themselves elected," said Marcio Tavares, another performer in Sao Clemente's parade.q

Ex-Guatemala prosecutor granted asylum in U.S. GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala’s former chief prosecutor said Monday she has been granted asylum in the United States, in the face of charges filed in her home country that she claims are retaliation for her anti-corruption campaign.

Thelma Aldana made the announcement in a telephone interview from New York. She has been living in the United States for almost a year, after a Guatemalan court refused to allow her candidacy in the 2019 presidential election.

“This a great message,”

In this March 10, 2019 file photo, Thelma Aldana, Guatemala's former chief prosecutor, listens to a journalist's question as she gives a press conference during her campaign event for president, in Guatemala City.

Associated Press

Aldana said. “If you act correctly, you will get support.”

Aldana’s supporters say the purchase price was approved by the comptroller’s office.q

A13

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Hilton Heights ergized – relaxed making it an awesome, custom experience.

PALM BEACH — Height is an important factor in dreams, and it might also represent respect, power,or strength. These three words are all applicable to the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino. Respect as in the attitude towards the guests, power symbolizes the positive influence on the guests’ dream vacation experience and strength characterizes the resort’s unbeatable firm factors: quality rooms, superb dining and an excellent lay out structure for leisure.

The good thing about the Hilton Aruba is the feel you get when entering the resort. The low rise building with the huge, open-air lobby, and modern-tropical interior make you want to exhale in delight.

Just sit, your vacation has begun!

We Walk You Through Let me walk you through the resort. Your Hilton Heights start with a smiling welcome by the concierge, who offers you a glass of champagne while directing you to the check-in. Another smiling face will arrange your room entrance and off you go. The rooms and suites are designed in light colors, matching the tropical environment and creating a relaxing atmosphere. After settling in, take a stroll in the resort’s beautiful tropical garden and pick a poolside sun bed or one directly on the white-sanded beach. There are several pools with different types of beds and even cabanas. The waterproof library, beach volleyball or “aquacise” are adds-on to your experience.

Make Time “I wish I had time, I know I need it”. A common phrase used by the working mankind, usually talking about a relaxing massage. While vacationing, there is no excuse: make that time! At Eforea Spa you will be reminded that YOU are important and your body is your temple. The bed you are lying on is heated and the massage therapists know their craft. You get to choose your essence for your room: balanced – en-

Rise to Taste Sunset Grille restaurant has a great chef, Matt Boland who is American and trained in French cuisine. He is a veteran in the world of haute-cuisine and let all his positive energy and fresh ideas loose when it comes to the elegant dining at Hilton Aruba. It starts with you walking through the door, bumping into a “Wall of Fame” picturing the wellknown faces or the island in a humorous way which allows you to peek into the local person’s scenery.

Seating is possible in the classic indoor elegance or the romantic outdoor terrace, your pick. Standing out here is really the service combined with the quality of the dishes, an impeccable combination where

you cannot go wrong. Superb steaks or the sassiest seafood, it is all here. So go, rise to sunset and taste!

Go Gilligan’s Recently redesigned with a new concept is Gilligan’s Seafood Shack – The resort’s open-air terrace restaurant at the edge of the Palm Beach boardwalk is open for dinner, nightly. The popular seaside eatery caters to resort guests during the day, and fun, casual diners in the evening hours – just walk in, no reserva-

tions required.The new dinner menu offers a selection of interesting salads and a variety of seafood appetizers followed by fresh fish, beef and chicken entrees, vegetarian offerings, tasty sides and desserts. q For more information check the Facebook page Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino.

Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino.

J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 81 Palm Beach Telephone: +297 586 6555

A14 LOCAL

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Peru’s Rotisserie Chicken is Here “Pollo a la Brasa, roasted chicken, is a very popular dish in Peru and the first thing my wife does when she visits her home country is paying a visit to Pardos, a well-known chicken rotisserie in Lima. She realized she never found a place like this on the island of Aruba”, says Jan. “The seasoning makes the difference and when it lacks the chicken will be dry and without taste. That was our motivation to bring our own charcoal burning rotisserie from Peru, eco-friendly as it traps heat and steam internally meaning there is no smoke.” In the United States roasted chicken is a popular dish, now visitors can have a taste of their favorite home-dish, but with the Peruvian twist.

EAGLE BEACH — Las Brasas Peruanas is the new kid on the block, part of the restaurant, Asi es mi Peru, at Paradise Beach Villas. Offering authentic Peruvian roasted chicken that gives you a mouthwatering experience, moreover because this is a dish prepared with love by the Peruvian chef, presented with pride by the Peruvian owner Roxana van Nes and her DutchSurinam husband Jan van Nes. You will encounter soft and juicy meat, a crispy skin and that special taste because of a 24-hour marinade_ a must-try.

Also Take-Out “Our chicken is marinated 24 hours in a special mix of Peruvian herbs and spices including garlic, cumin and Peruvian pepper and roasted for one hour and 10 minutes while preserving its full flavor. Another important element of our newest product is that the price is more than reasonable, thus giving our clientele an alternative to our establishment Asi es mi Peru. And not to forget: the Pollo a la Brasa has a takeout option too.”

Continued on Page 15

LOCAL A15

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Peru’s Rotisserie Chicken is Here Continued from Page 14

Jan continues giving an example of a table of eight persons that came to eat-in and left happy because of the quality of the chicken and side dishes as well as with the bill. “It is ideal for families with children, kids love roasted chicken.

Normally it comes with a fresh garden salad and fries, but we offer as well ‘chaufa’ (Peru’s version of Chinese Fried Rice) and other side dishes. There will be more surprises in the future. Original combos with Inca cola, very well-known in Peru, are on the menu. We just opened and we already sense that it is a niche we found.” To make the happy meal complete there is home-made ice-cream, for sure a hit with the little ones.

A family-oriented restaurant is what Asi es mi Peru strives for, and with this extra value of delicious roasted chicken they make this a fact.

Asi es mi Peru and Las Brasas Peruanas are open for lunch and dinner, check out their Facebook page: AsíEsMiPerú or website www.asiesmiperuenaruba.com.q

A16 LOCAL

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Eva Schloss to Speak in Aruba:

Historic evening with Anne Frank’s Step Sister Declaration along with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and the niece of Raul Wallenberg, a legendary figure who rescued thousands of Jews in Budapest.

Eva joins many courageous individuals who work tirelessly to end the violence and bigotry that continue to plague our world. Eva’s story is sensational and difficult to imagine, yet her insightful message reminds us that life is precious and fragile, that the creative spirit is stronger than fear, that the power of good is immeasurable, and that love makes a difference.

PALM BEACH — On Sunday, March 1, Mrs. Eva Schloss will share her experiences as the childhood friend and step sister of Anne Frank, including accounts of the publishing of Anne’s famed diary.

In 1938, Germany invaded Austria, causing many Jewish families to flee Austria to avoid persecution.

Among the emigrants was 8-year old Eva Geiringer, who with her mother, brother, and father moved first to Belgium and then to Holland, where one of her neighbors was a German Jewish girl of the same age. The two girls became friends and playmates (though, as Eva would say many years later, the girl was “much more grownup and mature than me”. They passed the time by skipping, playing hopscotch and marbles, and drinking lemonade that the girl’s mother prepared.

Ultimately, both girls and their families were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Later they would become step sisters. Eva survived her concentration camp experience and made her way to England, where she married Zvi Schloss and raised three daughters. She worked as a studio photographer and ran an antique shop. Her step-sister did not survive

Auschwitz, but kept a diary that did. Her name was Anne Frank.

Since 1985, Eva Schloss has devoted herself to holocaust education and global peace. She has recounted her wartime experiences in more than one thousand speaking engagements. She has written two books and has had a play written about her life. In 1999 Eva signed the Anne Frank Peace

The presentation will take place at the Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort and Casino in the Grand Morris Lapidus Ballroom at 7:00pm and will be suitable for people of all ages including teenagers. Families of all faiths are invited to attend.

This is a special opportunity to hear a first-hand account from someone whose life intersected with one of the most compelling figures in our history. Chabad of Aruba is honored to coordinate the event, with the generous support of our sponsors of this special evening; Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino, Elite Productions, Gianni’s Group, Compra, Ben Real Estate, Aruba Racquet Club, Do it Center, 4D Photo Bar, Aruba Tourist Channel, Brickel Bay Beach Club & Spa, Superfoods. Tickets are available at: www.AnneFrankAruba.com. q

LOCAL A17

Wednesday 26 February 2020

A weekly calendar with a selection of what’s going on in Aruba Wednesday 26 Of love & Lust -Poetry Night • Join us for the first poetry night of 2020. Be inspired by poets, story tellers and musicians as they take the stage to recite their hearts out for their audience. Enjoy amazing food and sip on some wine.

Event is free of cost • From 7pm • Pub Alfie’s in Aruba, Oranjestad • Facebook: Basha Foundation

Thursday 27 Deep Stretch (Donation Based) • Special donation based Deep Stretch class. A seated and slow paced class focusing on stretching and restoring the deep tissue.

Meditation and breath work included. Spaces are limited to max. 7 p in order to have personal attention for everybody. Just bring a bottle of water and a big towel.

• 8pm – 9pm • Tanki Flip 55, Suite 6, Noord, • Facebook: Sandy Island - Aruba Friday 28 ART Exhibit 01-Love Multiculture • Exhibition of 50 double portraits by people who love each other as loved ones, family or friends by renowned Dutch photographer Kees Tabak.

• 7pm – 10pm • Cas di Cultura, Oranjestad • Facebook: Cas di Cultura - Aruba’s Cultural Platform since 1958 Saturday 29 Leap Year Bonanza at Sunset Grille • Inspired by the first leap year of the decade, Sunset Grille is hosting a lively wine pairing experience coupled with a fun culinary adventure in collaboration with the 2020 Sommelier of the Year, Kiume Tjon-A-Tsien. Indulge in a 6-course culinary experience, with complimentary wine pairings.

• 6.30pm – 9pm • Sunset Grille, Hilton, Palm Beach • Facebook: Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino

Sunday 01 Farmers Market • Delicious pastries, bread, pinda’s, vegetarian snacks, locally made unique art and jewelry is all part of the Farmers Market. Great lunch & smoothies specials!

• 10am – 2pm • Aruba Ostrich Farm • Facebook: Aruba Ostrich Farm

Monday 02 Eagle Aruba BBQ Night • Join us for a delicious BBQ buffet and a great Entertainment!

Tickets are available at Eagle Aruba Resort & Casino front desk.

• 6pm – 8pm • Eagle Aruba Resort & Casino, Eagle Beach • Facebook: Eagle Aruba Resort & Casino Tuesday 03 Dinner under the Stars at Renaissance Private Island • Take a boat trip to Renaissance Island and let your taste buds travel to paradise. Enjoy our 4-course dinner menu consisting of Lamb Bock Choy or Salmon Ponzu, while your toes get pampered in our white secluded sand. Our private dinner setting includes a welcome cocktail at Lucy’s Dock (across the Renaissance Mall), boat trip to Renaissance Private Island, dinner on the beach and live entertainment • 6.30pm – 10pm • Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, Oranjestad • Facebook: Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino

A18 SPORTS

Wednesday 26 February 2020

In this May 18, 2019, file photo, Fernando Alonso, of Spain, talks with his crew as he prepares to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis.

Associated Press

THE REAL BEAL

Alonso returns to McLaren for another shot at Indy 500

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer Fernando Alonso will again attempt to complete motorsports' Triple Crown with a return to the Indianapolis 500 in May with McLaren.

The team failed to qualify Alonso for the race last season in a spectacular comedy of errors, including not having its car properly prepared to put the two-time Formula One champion in the field. "We beat ourselves," McLaren CEO Zak Brown said Tuesday. "We have unfinished business with Fernando."

McLaren has now aligned with Sam Schmidt's team and will field a third Indy 500 car for Alonso. He will attempt to qualify driving the No. 66 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren SP with sponsorship from Ruoff Mortgage, which was a partner on Takuma Sato's winning Indy 500 entry in 2017.

Continued on Page 22

Middleton leads Bucks past pesky Wizards 137-134 in OT Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) reacts after his dunk during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, in Washington.

Associated Press Page 20

SPORTS A19

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Bemstrom's OT tally lifts Blue Jackets over Senators 4-3

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets ditched their eight-game losing streak — and lost two more players to injuries.

Emil Bemstrom scored 4:35 into overtime, and the banged-up Blue Jackets beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on Monday night.

Bemstrom knocked home a rebound for his seventh of the season. Nick Foligno scored twice for the Blue Jackets, and Stefan Matteau tied it with his second of the season midway through the third period.

But Columbus' first win since Feb. 7 might have been a costly one.

Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins departed in the second period following a jarring collision with former Jackets forward Anthony Duclair. Center Riley Nash also left in the second.

The Blue Jackets have been ravaged by injuries this year. Merzlikins was replaced by Joonas Korpisalo, who was just activated after sitting out with a knee injury since Dec. 29.

There was no word on the status of Merzlikins and Nash, but Columbus added goalie Matiss Kivlenieks to the roster on emergency recall from the team's AHL affiliate in Cleveland

Columbus Blue Jackets' Nick Foligno, right, scores a goal against Ottawa Senators' Marcus Hogberg, of Sweden, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio.

Associated Press

ahead of Tuesday's game at Minnesota.

"We have looked at this as a great opportunity," Columbus coach John Tortorella said. "We lose a couple more guys tonight.

It's just a great opportunity to define team and define not giving in."

"We don't have the big speeches, it's not us against the world, none of that (stuff) anymore," he added. "We know who we are.

We've been this for months.

We have to be ready to do it each night."

The Senators were in flux after trading away two of their top offensive players before the deadline Monday and trying to get two other guys to Columbus for the game.

Ottawa dealt center JeanGabriel Pageau to the New York Islanders for a trio of draft picks, including a conditional 2020 firstrounder. The team also traded forward Vladislav Namestnikov to Colorado for a fourth-round pick.

"Those are great friends of ours, a big part of our team,

a big part of this group of guys," said Connor Brown, who had two goals for the Senators. "When it's all said an done you don't want to be playing on trade deadline day. It's a pretty emotional day."

Colin White also scored, and Marcus Hogberg had 41 saves in Ottawa's third straight loss.

The Blue Jackets' slide had reached eight, but they managed to get a point in five of the losses to stay in contention. The win enabled them to jump over

idle Carolina into the Eastern Conference's second wild-card slot.

Foligno — still sporting two black eyes from taking a puck in the face Thursday — got the Blue Jackets on the board 4:10 into the first when he swept the puck in from the slot.

Brown tied it at 10:48 when he banged a shot off the near post, and he got another just 9 seconds into a power play to put the Senators up 2-1 halfway through the second.

Foligno got his ninth of the season with 7:28 left in the second, a tap-in after a nice play by Boone Jenner.

The teams traded goals again in the third period, with White tapping in a rebound and Matteau getting credit for a tip-in of Scott Harrington's long shot 29 seconds later.

NOTES: Columbus brought up C Calvin Thurkauf on emergency recall from the minors and sent D Gabriel Carlsson back down. ... The Senators recalled D Christian Jaros from the minors. ... Ottawa forwards Matthew Peca and Rudolfs Balcers were late arrivals to Nationwide Arena. Peca played in the game, but Balcers' equipment didn't arrive in time. Peca got an assist on White's third-period goal.q

Hurricanes’ Reimer, Mrazek, Pesce all ‘longer term’ injuries

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina defenseman Brett Pesce and goaltenders James Reimer and Petr Mrazek are all dealing with "longer term" injuries suffered in a weekend win at Toronto, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said Monday.

Brind'Amour said it was unclear exactly how much time the players will miss. Reimer left with a lower-body injury, while Brind'Amour said Mrazek is dealing with a concussion and Pesce has a shoulder injury.

Later Monday, team president and general manager

Don Waddell said the team has moved Pesce to the long-term injured reserve — aiding the team with salarycap moves — but that he didn't think the goaltenders would be out "long term."

He also said Mrazek is going through the concussion protocol and has "more of a neck injury," though he hasn't had a headache.

"It's weeks at the most," Waddell said of the goaltenders. "Petr might be less than that."

The injuries to Reimer and Mrazek forced the Hurricanes to turn to 42-yearold emergency goaltender David Ayres in the 6-3 win.

Reimer's injury occurred

when Toronto's Zach Hyman pushed Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin into Reimer's left leg, sending both falling into the net.

Mrazek was hurt in the second period on a collision with Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford, leading to Ayres' entry.

The Hurricanes have since recalled goaltenders Anton Forsberg and Alex Nedeljkovic from Charlotte of the American Hockey League ahead of Tuesday's home game against Dallas.

As for Pesce, Brind'Amour said the 25-year-old defenseman was scheduled to be evaluated again later Monday. But any extend-

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek (34) hits the ice after Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Kyle Clifford (73) skated into him during second-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020.

Associated Press

ed absence would be another hit for a team that lost All-Star defenseman Dougie Hamilton indefinitely to

a broken left leg in January and is jostling for position in the Eastern Conference playoff wild-card chase.q

A20 SPORTS

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Embiid powers Sixers past Hawks 129-112

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, top, hangs from the rim after a dunk past Atlanta Hawks' Dewayne Dedmon during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, in Philadelphia.

Associated Press

By The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored a careerhigh 49 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Tobias Harris had 25 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Atlanta Hawks 129-112 on Monday night.

Missing All-Star Ben Simmons for the second time in three games because of a back injury, the Sixers mixed up their starting lineup and got 15 points from Furkan Korkmaz in a reserve role.

Trae Young led Atlanta with 28 points despite missing nine of 11 from 3-point range. De’Andre Hunter added 22 and John Collins had 21 for the Hawks.

Simmons only played five minutes in a loss at Milwaukee on Saturday before exiting. He had tests on Sunday and needs further

evaluation.

ROCKETS 123, KNICKS 112 HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden scored 37 points, and the Rockets earned their fourth straight victory.

Harden had 31 by halftime, helping Houston to a 7257 lead at the break. He cooled down eventually, but his first-half work put the Rockets in control against the struggling Knicks, who lost their fourth in a row.

Harden, Russell Westbrook and P.J. Tucker arrived at the arena about 70 minutes before tip-off after attending Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s memorial service in Los Angeles. Westbrook was expected to play against the Knicks, but was scratched minutes before the game with a sore thumb.

The Knicks got 21 points from RJ Barrett, and Julius Randle added 17 points with 12 rebounds.

BUCKS 137, WIZARDS 134, OT WASHINGTON (AP) — Khris Middleton scored Milwaukee’s final nine points, helping the Bucks outlast Bradley Beal and the Wizards in overtime.

Middleton, who finished

with 40 points, hit a 3-pointer with 30.2 seconds left to give the Bucks a 135-132 lead.

After Beal — who had his second straight 50-point game — made two free throws, Middleton was fouled with 7.8 seconds left and made both attempts from the line to make it 137-134. Troy Brown, Jr.’s 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer.

Beal scored a career-high 55 points one night after he had 53 in a loss at Chicago.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points and 14 rebounds for Milwaukee.

CLIPPERS 124, GRIZZLIES 97 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points, Montrezl Harrell added 22 and the Clippers snapped a three-game losing streak.

Leonard had 14 points in the first quarter as the Clippers roared out to a 40-14 lead. The All-Star forward scored 10 straight, including two dunks, to extend Los Angeles’ advantage to 24-6 with 3:49 remaining in the period.

Leonard finished 10 of 17 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds in 25 minutes over three quarters.

Ja Morant had 16 points and Josh Jackson scored 14 for Memphis (28-29), which has dropped three straight to fall under .500.

SUNS 131, JAZZ 111 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Ricky Rubio had 22 points, 11 assists and seven steals, leading Phoenix to the victory.

In his first game back in Salt Lake City after playing for the Jazz for two seasons, Rubio led an offense that shot 56% and seemed a step ahead of the Jazz all night. Devin Booker had 24 points and 10 assists for the Suns.

Donovan Mitchell scored 38 points for Utah. The Jazz made a season-high 37 free throws — on 43 attempts — but looked disjointed while committing 19 turnovers.

MAGIC 115, NETS 113 NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Gordon had 27 points, 10 rebounds and a big blocked shot in the final seconds, helping Orlando rally for the win.

The Magic charged back from a 19-point deficit in the second half to move within 1 1/2 games of the Nets for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

Terrence Ross added 21

points and eight rebounds for the Magic. Spencer Dinwiddie had 24 points and eight assists for the Nets, who had won five straight at home by double digits.

CAVALIERS 125, HEAT 119, OT CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Kevin Porter Jr. scored a season-high 30 points, including the go-ahead basket in overtime, and Cleveland rallied from a 22-point deficit to defeat Miami.

Porter’s dunk after a pass from Kevin Love gave Cleveland a 119-118 lead with 1:20 to play. Fellow rookie Darius Garland’s runner in the lane put the Cavaliers ahead 121-118 with 40 seconds remaining.

Jae Crowder missed a 3-pointer from the corner before Love scored after an offensive rebound with six seconds left and Porter hit two free throws to seal it.

Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Miami. Goran Dragic also scored 22 and Kendrick Nunn, who tied the game with six seconds left in regulation, added 21.

The Cavaliers played their first home game since J.B. Bickerstaff replaced John Beilein as coach. Beilein resigned during the All-Star break.

Miami played without AllStar Jimmy Butler, who missed his second straight game because of personal reasons.

MAVERICKS 139, TIMBERWOLVES 123 DALLAS (AP) — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points and Luka Doncic had 20, sending Dallas to the win.

The Mavericks rested most of their starters in the fourth quarter after scoring 81 points before halftime.

Hardaway, Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis did not play in the final period.

The reeling Timberwolves, playing without injured star Karl-Anthony Towns, lost their fifth in a row and 18th in 19 games.

Dallas shot 56% in the first half and went 12 of 23 from 3-point range en route to an 81-65 halftime lead.

D’Angelo Russell led Minnesota with 29 points and Malik Beasley had 21.q

SPORTS A21

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Determining All-Decade team for 2010s no easy chore

By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer The Pro Football Hall of Fame is embarking on a difficult assignment: determining the All-Decade team of the 2010s.

Yes, there are some slam dunks on both sides of the ball and on special teams.

There also are some real tough decisions to be made.

All-Decade teams are of value in assessing credentials for potential Hall of Fame candidates. They carry with them a significantly unfair element, though. Players who arrive in the NFL in the middle of a decade and last into the middle of the next decade are at a severe disadvantage for making such squads.

Consider Curtis Martin, who was inducted in the Canton, Ohio, shrine in 2012.

He played from 1995-2005, rushing for at least 1,000 yards — usually much higher — in all but one season.

He didn't make either AllDecade team, though. At least he had such overwhelming credentials that he made the hall.

On defense, look at Buffalo's Nate Odomes, one of the best cover cornerbacks from 1987-96 before injuries short-circuited his career.

Not a sniff of an All-Decade roster for Odomes.

Still, selecting such teams makes sense. Why not honor the best of a decade, especially in such a team sport? In some ways, short of making the Hall of Fame, it's as big an honor as many offensive linemen and special teamers will ever receive. There are a bunch of obvious choices for the team of the 2010s, of course. Tom Brady at quarterback. Adrian Peterson at running back. Joe Thomas at left tackle.

J.J. Watt on the D-line. Luke Kuechly and Von Miller as linebackers. Justin Tucker as the placekicker.

Rick Gosselin of Talk Of Fame Network, a Hall of Fame voter, makes a strong argument for the talented but disruptive Antonio Brown and the prematurely retired Calvin Johnson at wide receiver.

"Brown may have had his issues off the field but not on it," Gosselin says. "He strung together six consecutive 100-catch seasons for the Steelers from 2013 through 2018. Brown led the league in catches twice, receiving yards twice and touchdowns once on his way to seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro selections. As a bonus, he gave the Steelers four touchdowns on punt returns and another on a kickoff return.

"Megatron came out of

In this Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020 file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady walks to the sideline after throwing an interception late in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Tennessee Titans in Foxborough, Mass.

Associated Press

Georgia Tech at 6-foot-5, 237 pounds with 4.29 speed — and played every bit to that size and speed in the NFL with the Detroit Lions.

He set an NFL record with his 1,964 yards receiving in 2012 and also led the league in catches that season with 122. He strung together six consecutive years of 1,000-plus yards before retiring after the 2015 season at the age of 30. He went to the Pro Bowl all six of his seasons in the decade and was a threetime All-Pro." Yet others would argue for Larry Fitzgerald or Julio Jones.

"Jones made seven Pro Bowls in the decade and his average of 96.2 receiving yards per game ranks No. 1 in the history of the

NFL," says Ira Kaufman of Fox 13 in Tampa and also a hall voter. "In the playoffs, Jones has been equally productive with 61 catches for 834 yards and six TDs in eight postseason games."

Another Hall of Fame voter, Dan Pompei, chooses Rob Gronkowski as his tight end instead of Zach Ertz and Travis Kelce.

"There might not be an easier choice on the entire team," Pompei notes.

"No tight end came close to him in terms of impact.

He created mismatches, he made big plays and he blocked. Oh, and he won three Super Bowls."

John Clayton of ESPN 710 Seattle makes a case at placekicker and punter.

"On special teams, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker

and Rams' Johnny Hekker dominated the decade," he says. "Tucker is being looked at as one of the greatest placekickers in NFL history. Hekker edged out Thomas Morstead through the decade as the game's best punter. Plus, Hekker is athletic enough to throw a few passes and keep opponents nervous about him making a first down. Both were undrafted players from 2012."

Pompei weighs in for Devin Hester as the punt returner: "He might have been at his peak in the previous decade, but there was no one better than him in either decade. He scored seven of his career 14 punt return touchdowns and averaged 12.1 yards per punt return in the 2010s."q

Columnist suspended for calling Browns’ Mayfield “midget” CLEVELAND (AP) — A Cleveland sports talk radio personality has been suspended indefinitely for referring to Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield as a “midget.”

During a commercial break at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi didn’t realize his microphone was still on when he used a vulgar word before calling Mayfield a midget. Grossi is a

columnist for the station and frequently appears on air.

The station’s owner, Good Karma Brands, issued an immediate apology to Mayfield and the Browns while adding its decision to punish Grossi. The company also said it will pursue sensitivity and inclusion training “for everyone on our content teams across our company.”

Chris Talbott, a spokesman for Mayfield, declined

comment on the situation.

Mayfield has had a contentious relationship with Grossi, who advocated for the Browns not to take the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner with the first overall draft pick in 2018.

Last season, Mayfield, who is listed as 6-foot1 on Cleveland’s roster, stormed out of a group interview session in the Browns’ locker room after taking objection to a question by Grossi.q

In this Dec. 22, 2019, file photo, Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield reacts during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Cleveland.

Associated Press

A22

Wednesday 26 February 2020

SPORTS

Slater to build world's largest man-made wave in the desert

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Sports Writer Kelly Slater is planning to build the world's largest man-made wave in the desert.

Plans for Coral Mountain, announced on Tuesday, feature the largest rideable open-barrel humanmade wave in the world with technology from Kelly Slater Wave Company, a division of the World Surf League.

The 11-time world champion surfer is teaming with private real estate investment and development firm Meriwether Companies and Big Sky Wave Developments, founded by Michael B. Schwab, son of brokerage pioneer Charles Schwab.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2021 with the opening slated sometime in 2022, pending design and amended approval.

The land was previously approved for 750 homes and an 18-hole golf course. The

In this Oct. 9, 2019, file photo, surfer Kelly Slater is surrounded by fans after he leaves his footprint cement slab at Anglet Surf Avenue, in Anglet, southwestern France.

Associated Press

new proposal maintains the same density and will require less water than the previously approved golf course.

"We chose to do this proj-

ect because it allows us to further build on our technology and also because one of our founding partners, Michael Schwab, is heading up the group

running the project," Slater said in a statement. "We're excited to make another KSWaveCo design and I'm personally excited to create a new wave that

Alonso Continued from Page 18

"I am a racer and the Indy 500 is the greatest race in the world," Alonso said. "I have maximum respect for this race and everyone who competes in it and all I want to do is race against them and give my best, as always."

Alonso's quest is to win Indianapolis and complete a prestigious Triple Crown that includes Formula One's Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race. Graham Hill is the only driver to have completed the triple.

Juan Pablo Montoya (Indy and Monaco) and Alonso are the only active drivers to have won two of the three legs. Alonso came up short in 2017 driving for Andretti Autosport when his Honda engine failed 21 laps from the finish. He had led 27 laps.

The Spaniard returned last year for another attempt with McLaren, which was running as a one-car team

making a one-off appearance in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

Nothing went right from the beginning. The team struggled to obtain a steering wheel in time for testing. Its track time at the first test was cut short because the paint scheme on the car was not the proper McLaren "papaya orange" and the team did not want it photographed in the wrong shade.

On the final morning of qualifying, wholesale changes were made to the car in a frantic effort to get Alonso into the race.

But a team member incorrectly converted settings when switching the numbers from the metric to imperial system and the car bottomed out as Alonso attempted a lap.

A return to the 500 this year for Alonso was expected to be with Andretti again, but that deal was rejected

by Honda because of a fallout between the engine manufacturer, the driver and McLaren over

In this April 24, 2019, file photo, IndyCar driver Fernando Alonso, of Spain, drives out of the pit area during testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis.

Associated Press

past criticism of its power plants. The Andretti ride instead went to James Hinchcliffe, who had spent five years driving for Schmidt but was dumped by the team when McLaren came aboard.

"It was important for me to explore my options for this race but Arrow McLaren SP has always been at the top," Alonso said. "I have a special place with McLaren, we've been through a lot together and that creates a bond, a loyalty that is strong."

After dropping Hinchcliffe, the new McLaren team instead hired Indy Lights champion Oliver Askew and Pato O'Ward, who will form the youngest IndyCar lineup in history. Askew, an American, is 23. O'Ward, a Mexican, will turn 21 in May. The 38-year-old Alonso will be in a third car alongside Askew and O'Ward attempting to make the field of 33 for the May 24 race.

Brown said Alonso's star status would not swallow the rookies.

will be a stand alone design that nowhere else in the world has. This can become the blueprint for new developments around waves and surf parks going forward and is in line with some of my original ideas from when we started this project. I can't wait to get underway."

The wave basin will be part of a 400-acre site in La Quinta, California, set at the base of Coral Mountain. The masterplanned community in the Coachella Valley will include a fullservice resort, residential homes, a private club, multiple dining venues and adventure sport offerings.

The $200 million complex will have a 150-room hotel and up to 600 homes in the $1 million to $5 million range. Access to amenities will be exclusively available to homeowners, hotel guests, members and their guests. Dining will be open to the public through reservations.q "It gives them a chance to watch a world-class professional," Brown said.

Alonso said the McLaren partnership with Arrow Schmidt has strengthened that team.

"I am impressed with how the new organization and operation is developing into a strong package with the Chevrolet partnership," Alonso said. "The team has experienced, well-qualified people and great resources, and I'm confident we can be competitive."

In addition to his two F1 titles, Alonso has won the World Endurance Championship, has twice won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and won the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He ran the Dakar Rally in January but his team did not win and Alonso was involved in a rollover during the 10th stage.

He said he has turned attention to preparing for Indy.

"I'm focused and excited," he said. "It will also be great to work with Oliver and Pato, two fantastic young talents for the future who are growing all the time."q

SPORTS A23

Wednesday 26 February 2020

In this Friday, July 26, 2019 file photo, China's Sun Yang waves following the men's 4x200m freestyle relay heats at the World Swimming Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

Associated Press

Swimming authorities worked to protect Sun Yang from ban

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — International swimming authorities worked to protect three-time Olympic champion Sun Yang from being banned from the sport in a doping case, according to a Swiss supreme court document. A verdict in the case against the Chinese swimmer is expected within days from the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But a federal court document shows that swimming governing body FINA supported arguments by Sun's lawyers to have an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency thrown out early last year in a pre-trial dispute over an alleged conflict of interest for the agency's lead prosecutor, American lawyer Richard Young.

The swimmer's lawyers appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, which dismissed their procedural objections weeks before a rare public hearing held by CAS last November. "In the course of the proceedings, the swimmer and FINA raised a plea of inadmissibility because of the allegedly late filing of the (WADA) appeal brief," said the Swiss federal ruling, dated Oct. 28.

Had Young, who previously prosecuted doping cases involving Lance Armstrong and Marion Jones and is based in Colorado, been considered ineligible for the case because of his past work for FINA, the WADA appeal could

have technically missed its deadline and allowed CAS to decline jurisdiction.

Instead, Young stayed on the WADA team for the public hearing.

Sun is facing a ban of up to eight years for his alleged refusal to provide blood and urine in September 2018 in a visit by sample collectors to his home in China. WADA appealed after a FINA tribunal merely warned Sun and cited doubts about credentials shown by three sample collection officials.

FINA has faced criticisms in the past, including from some top swimmers, for favoring Sun during his career. It did not announce Sun's three-month ban for doping imposed by Chinese authorities until after it ended in 2014.

The Lausanne-based FINA declined to comment on attempts to remove Young and stop WADA's case.

Young did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

Months before the public hearing by CAS, Sun's lawyers and FINA asked Young to stand down from the case because of a possible conflict of interest. Young had resigned from FINA's legal commission in February 2019 to free himself for WADA's appeal, the federal court document stated.

The open-door doping hearing in Montreux, Switzerland, was streamed live for 10 hours on the CAS website.q

New York Yankees' Luis Severino delivers a pitch in the bullpenn during a spring training baseball workout Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. Associated Press

Yanks’ Severino need elbow surgery, will miss season

By The Associated Press New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino has an elbow injury that requires Tommy John surgery.

The team said Tuesday the 26-year-old right-hander has a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament, a development that means the two-time All-Star will miss all of 2020 after being sidelined for nearly all of 2019. Left-hander James Paxton already was projected to miss the first two months of the season following back surgery on Feb. 5. Domingo Germán must serve the final 63 games of an 81-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.

He is eligible to return June 5, barring any postponements.

Severino’s injury leaves the AL East favorites with a rotation of newly signed ace Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ and two openings. The usual recovery time for Tommy John surgery is a year or more. “I don’t want to sugarcoat the fact that being without Sevy, that’s a blow, but it doesn’t change our expectations and what we’re truly capable of,” manager Aaron Boone said. “So, no, nothing changes.” Lefty

Jordan Montgomery, who came back in September from Tommy John surgery, has been throwing at up to 94 mph and is the leading candidate for one slot.

Jonathan Loaisiga and rookies Deivi Garcia and Michael King are possibilities along with Luis Cessa.

“We’re always constantly looking for upgrades anyway,” general manager Brian Cashman said.

YANKEES 4, BLUE JAYS (SS) 1 Nick Tropeano allowed one hits in two innings, and Brian Keller struck out the side as New York pitchers struck out 13 strikeouts.

Chris Ianetta had two hits and scored a run.

Santiago Espinal homered for the Blue Jays. Nate Pearson, Toronto’s firstround draft pick in 2017, struck out the side in a one-inning start. Phillippe Aumont gave up three runs and two hits while striking out five in two innings.

TIGERS 9, METS 6 Tim Tebow hit his first extra-base hit in four spring trainings with New York, a two-run homer off Alex Wilson. The former Heisman Trophy winner was 9 for 60 in spring training entering this year. Michael Wacha allowed one hit and two walks over two

scoreless innings in his first Mets appearance. Tigers starter Spencer Turnbull struck out four of six batters, and Wilson retired just one batter while giving up two home runs, four runs and a walk. Miguel Cabrera hit a three-run homer off Ryley Gilliam.

BRAVES 4, TWINS 2 Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz struck out three and allowed a home run to Trevor Larnach. Shea Langeliers, the ninth overall pick last year, hit a two-run home run against Caleb Thielbar.

Jhoulys Chacín struck out two in his two-inning start and Zack Littell fanned three in two innings RAYS 12, ORIOLES (SS) 1 Brandon Lowe had a single, triple and three RBIs, a day after he was excused from a workout to attend to his spring training home, which had been threatened by a brush fire.

Chris Davis hit his first home run of spring training.

Charlie Morton worked an inning in the start for the Rays and had a strikeout. Trevor Richards gave up three hits, including a home run, in hone inning.

John Means struck out three in the start for the Orioles, but gave up two earned runs on three hits.q

A24

Wednesday 26 February 2020

HEALTH

Burning Your Momo By: Carlos M Viana SANTA CRUZ -Throughout the festivities of Carnival, the party seems as if it will go on forever.

Our community just burned this year’s carnival Momo.

Traditionally the Momo is black because in pagan religions Momo or that year’s “king” absorbs all the sins of the community and dies taking their sins with him.

The community expunged from all wrongs is then able to begin anew with a fresh beginning, symbolized by spring. With the burning of Momo, we are reminded that life is ever changing and that all things eventually must end.

The most profound change for each of us is our own end, or the reality of human mortality. The United States currently has the greatest number of centenarians (People living to 100 or more) in the world. There are different theories as to why certain cultures have longer life expectancies than others, but one would expect that since the United States spends more on health care than other nations, the life expectancy would reflect that spending. However, the United States ranks only 24th on the list of disability-adjusted life expectancy while Japan ranks at the top. This means that there are more centenarians living in Japan based on population and they are living healthier with less medical intervention.

Many experts attribute Japan’s high life expectancy

to their diet, which is low in fats. There must be something to island life because here in the Caribbean, the Island of Barbados has one of the highest occurrences of centenarians in the world! There are obviously other factors involved in living to be 100 years old or more. Studies show that one significant influence contributing to rapid aging is high insulin levels. Look at the insulin/diabetes problems spreading worldwide and how it is affecting the way we age.

Ironically, even though most people express an interest in living to their maximum potential, many refuse to use the available methods that are sure to slow down aging.

One thing is for sure, that the effects of bad lifestyle are cumulative. This means, the more you do something unhealthy, the more it hurts you. So, during this time of “rebirth” how about starting a longevity program?

If you want to increase your chances of living a longer, healthier life, one of the first things you should do is quit smoking, including breathing second-hand smoke.

Acupuncture offers natural treatments for smoking and other addictions. Next, get on a healthy eating plan.

Our clinic’s holistic health program starts with the elimination, or at least a large reduction, of most grains and sugars from your diet.

Consuming simple or processed sugar and grains, especially wheat products like bread and pasta, will increase your insulin levels.

That is the equivalent of slamming your foot on the aging accelerator.

Eating right for your metabolic type, which incidentally, is your blood type, will also help to optimize your antiaging program.

Like the Japanese, medical researchers have known for years that eating fish was associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating oily fish like salmon, tuna or bluefish at least twice a week is healthy because fatty acids in the fish block dangerous irregular heart rhythms. Fish oil is another factor in helping people live longer, and many experts believe that it is likely the predominant reason why the Japanese are the longest living race on the planet. For those of us, who don’t eat enough fresh fish, supplements are a way to insure we get enough of the healthy fats or Omega 3’s found in fish.

However, when choosing a fish oil, it is important to use a high-quality brand that ensures that its oils are free of mercury and other toxins. If you are just beginning on a diet and supplement program, it is a good idea to begin with a quality EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) or Omega Oil product containing all 3 Omega oils, Omega 3, 6 and 9 in the right ratio. Flaxseed Oil is a good choice for vegans.

Young people feel like they will live forever, and therefore eat poorly and engage in risky behavior leading to illness and sometimes early mortality. Even kids, teens and young adults

can benefit from a healthy lifestyle plan.

Learning good habits early leads to a better quality of life later.

After age 35, cardiovascular disease and cancer are the leading causes of death. Studies presented at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research showed that supplements - ranging from ordinary multivitamins to specially formulated, natural products can have a positive impact combating disease.

Other foods that have been shown to slow down aging are most fruits and vegetables and a component in red wine, known as reversitol. These are rich in antioxidants that have anti-aging effects. Sardines have RNA that helps you rebuild your body.

The Evercare poll of 100

Contrarians found that their most important secrets to healthy aging were, staying close to friends and family, laughing and having a sense of humor, keeping the mind active, having something to look forward to each day, maintaining independence, exercising, spirituality, eating right, keeping up with current events, and continuing to make new friends.

Get the Point! Your nutritional and lifestyle sins are hanging around your waist, showing on your face and costing you vitality. You can “burn your candle at both ends” or do something to slow down aging.

Maybe now is a good time to hook up with a Clinical Nutritionist. We can help you burn your sins and start anew with personal long, healthy, life plan.q

BUSINESS A25

Wednesday 26 February 2020

No checkout needed: Amazon opens cashier-less grocery store

By JOSEPH PISANI AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon wants to kill the supermarket checkout line.

The online retailing giant is opening its first cashier-less supermarket, where shoppers can grab milk or eggs and walk out without waiting in line or ever opening their wallets. It's the latest sign that Amazon is serious about shaking up the $800 billion grocery industry.

At the new store, which opened Tuesday in Amazon's hometown of Seattle, shoppers scan a smartphone app to enter the store. Cameras and sensors track what's taken off shelves. Items are charged to an Amazon account after leaving.

"I love the convenience of literally grabbing and going" said Art Kuniyuki, a payroll and benefits manager from Seattle, who spent $15 on Barilla pasta, Dove chocolate and other groceries shortly after the store opened.

Called Amazon Go Grocery, the new store is an expansion of its 2-year-old chain of 25 Amazon Go convenience stores. It's 10,400 square feet — more than five times the size of the convenience stores — and stocks much more beyond the sodas and sandwiches found at Amazon Go. Cameron Janes, who helps oversee Amazon's physical stores, said the technology had to be tweaked to account for how people squeeze tomatoes to test for ripeness or rummage through avocados to find just the right one. Nothing at the store is weighed. One blood orange goes for 53 cents; a banana is 19 cents.

Amazon is not new to groceries. It made a splash in 2017 when it bought Whole Foods and its 500 stores.

It's also been expanding its online grocery delivery service. But it's still far behind rival Walmart, the nation's largest grocer, which has more than 4,700 stores.

Walmart's online grocery service has also been popular with customers, who buy online and then drive

shop. And there's no deli counter, butcher or fishmonger. Instead, sliced ham, steaks and salmon fillets are already packaged and found in refrigerated shelves. "Just walk out technology is kind of cool, in theory," said David Bishop, a partner at retail consultancy Brick Meets Click, but shoppers decide where to shop based on other factors besides how quickly they can get in and out of the store. q

In this Feb. 21, 2020 photo, a sign tells shoppers how to check in when they enter an Amazon Go Grocery store set to open soon in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Associated Press

to a store to pick up their order.

Amazon also plans to open another type of grocery store in Los Angeles sometime this year, but the company said it won't use the cashier-less technology at that location and has kept other details under wraps.

The company declined to say if it plans to open more Amazon Go Grocery stores, and said there are no plans to bring the technology to Whole Foods stores.

Much of the fruits and vegetables come from the same suppliers at Whole Foods, Janes said. And it has products from the Whole Foods store brand 365, such as organic oatmeal and bagged baby carrots. But it also sells Oreos, Cheez-Its and other stuff banned from the natural grocer.

Families can shop together with just one phone scanning everyone in. Anything they grab and leave the

store with will be added to the tab of the person who signed them in. But shoppers shouldn't help out a stranger reaching for the top shelf: Amazon warns that grabbing an item for someone else means you'll be charged for it.

Hoping to catch up to Amazon, other retailers and startups are racing to bring similar cashier-less technology to stores. Earlier this month, 7-Eleven said it is testing a cashier-less store for employees inside its offices in Irving, Texas.

But cashier-less stores have come under scrutiny from lawmakers and advocates who say they discriminate against low-income people who may not have a credit card or bank account. Amazon has since let customers pay with cash at its convenience stores, and the company said shoppers can do the same at the grocery store by alerting a worker to let

them in through the turnstile. The stores also eliminates the job of cashiers.

Janes declined to say exactly how many people the store employs, only saying it is "several dozen."

Workers greet customers and walk around aisles restocking shelves. One employee stands by the alcohol section, checking IDs of shoppers who want wine or beer.

While cashier-less stores remove the annoyance of waiting in line to pay, it also kills some joys of the supermarket. There's no one to bag groceries. Instead, Amazon gives out reusable bags so shoppers can fill them as they

A26 COMICS

Wednesday 26 February 2020

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A28 SCIENCE

Wednesday 26 February 2020

Mars lander confirms quakes, even aftershocks on red planet

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's newest Mars lander has confirmed that quakes and even aftershocks are regularly jolting the red planet.

Scientists reported Monday that the seismometer from the InSight spacecraft has detected scores of marsquakes.

A series of research papers focus on the 174 marsquakes noted through last September.

Twenty-four were relatively strong — magnitude 3 to 4 — and apparently stemmed from distant underground triggers. The rest were smaller, with uncertain magnitude and origin. Even the stronger quakes would not have posed a hazard to anybody on the planet's surface, researchers said in a press conference.

The overall tally has since jumped to more than 450 marsquakes, most of them small, InSight's lead scientist, Bruce Banerdt of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in an email.

The basic cause of Martian quakes is a long-term cooling of the planet, which makes it contract, fracturing its brittle outer layers, Banerdt told reporters. But it's not clear what detailed mechanisms bring on specific quakes, he said.

While the team cannot rule out meteor impacts, the source of the tremors appears to be underground, according to the researchers. Nevertheless, Marsorbiting spacecraft are on the lookout for signs of recent impacts, and InSight's cameras scan the night sky for meteors. So far, they've come up empty.

Banerdt said he had hoped to find more larger quakes, which are useful for prob-

This Feb. 18, 2020 photo made available by NASA shows the InSight lander's dome-covered seismometer, known as SEIS, on Mars.

Associated Press

ing deeper under the planet's surface. In an email, he said "another year of observations will be needed to complete the goals of the mission."

InSight landed in a small crater in Mars' Elysium Planitia in November 2018. Its French seismometer was placed directly on the volcanic plain the following month.

This region has especially turbulent weather, with dust devil-like vortexes.

The lander still has another year of geologic observations for a total of two years, or one full Martian year. There likely are more quakes occurring than the seismometer is registering;

interference from wind and other weather conditions can mask the measurements.

And while no marsquakes with magnitudes greater than 4 have been detect-

ed, that doesn't mean they aren't occurring, according to Banerdt.

Banerdt describes Mars as moderately active from a seismic standpoint, more than the moon but less

than Earth. The findings are close to initial predictions.

The moon's seismic activity is known thanks to instruments left behind a halfcentury ago by the Apollo astronauts.

"Knowledge of the level of seismic activity is crucial for investigating the interior structure and understanding Mars' thermal and chemical evolution," Banerdt wrote in an overview article in Nature Geoscience. The journal as well as Nature Communications feature four papers from the InSight team.

Other key findings: The first magnetic measurements from the Martian surface show a local magnetic field that's 10 times stronger than detected from orbit, and weather instruments have found a surprisingly dynamic atmosphere around the spacecraft.

While the French seismometer is exceeding expectations, a German-built probe has had trouble burrowing into Mars, barely penetrating a couple feet (50 centimeters). Scientists have not yet given up on the mechanical mole, which keeps popping out of the ground.

The mole was supposed to bury 16 feet (5 meters) into Mars to measure the planet's internal temperature.q

Congresswoman: Science should guide nuclear storage decision

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A member of New Mexico’s congressional delegation wants to ensure a “sound and robust” scientific review is done before federal regulators decide whether to sign off on plans for a multibilliondollar temporary storage facility for spent nuclear fuel. U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small in an interview with The Associated Press acknowledged that the growing stockpile of used fuel at commercial reactors around the U.S. is a national problem and that elected leaders need to

ensure New Mexico does not pay an unfair price as part of the solution.

“My concern is making sure that we’re looking at the science and that we are doing our best to evaluate based on that, not based on economic considerations or based on fear or bias, but based on how dowe solve a challenge that is a national challenge,” the Democrat said.

While elected leaders in Eddy and Lea counties support the project, it has garnered fierce opposition from nuclear watchdog groups, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lu-

jan Grisham and other members of the state’s congressional delegation. They are concerned about the state becoming a permanent dump since the federal government is far from having any long-term plan for dealing with the tons of spent fuel building up at nuclear power plants around the nation.

State and industry officials also have concerns about potential effects on oil and gas development, as the proposed site is located within the Permian Basin — one of the world’s most prolific energy production regions.q

PEOPLE & ARTS A29

Wednesday 26 February 2020

ABC's 'For Life' hopes to change the way we see network TV NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Nicholas Pinnock doesn’t just believe his new network TV show can save lives. He believes it can save network TV, too.

Pinnock stars in “For Life,” ABC’s mid-season drama about a prison inmate unjustly incarcerated who becomes a lawyer. Social justice issues are baked into every episode, not to mention exploring racial inequality and prison reform.

Pinnock was initially skeptical if ABC was the right home for his edgy and inventive show, but he’s been impressed by the network’s backing. “For Life” airs on Tuesday nights opposite less demanding shows like “New Amsterdam” or “FBI: Most Wanted.”

“I think it’s going to change the shape and the way network television is viewed and how it can move forward and compete with the likes of streaming channels like Netflix and Amazon and Apple and really, really challenge the outlook of network television,” he said.

Pinnock plays Aaron Wallace, a prisoner who litigates cases for other inmates while fighting to overturn his own life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. Each episode deals with a case that helps him get closer to the show’s overarching arc: freedom. Along the way,

This image released by ABC shows Felonious Munk, left, and Nicholas Pinnock in a scene from "For Life," airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST on ABC. Associated Press

he juggles family responsibilities and trying to survive behind bars.

“People initially will think, ‘Oh legal drama — it’s going to be procedural, like so many network procedural shows that we’ve seen.’ But this is completely different.

It’s a legal, family and prison drama,” Pinnock said.

The show’s creator is Hank Steinberg, whose previous series include “The Nine,” “Without a Trace” and “The Last Ship.” One of the show’s executive producers is Curtis Jackson, better known as the rapper 50 Cent.

Actress Indira Varma plays a sympathetic prison warden on the show and hopes “For Life” can be a corrective to other shows that illustrate violence on the streets but not always the consequences.

“Entertainment, of course, glamorizes crime. It makes it more frightening. It does all that because it’s exciting — it’s dramatic,” she said. “Hopefully with a show like ours, we are sharing a realistic version. And hopefully it is entering a wider conversation, which is really important.”

The series arrives at a time

when several pop culture projects have wrestled with criminal justice, including the searing miniseries “When They See Us” on Netflix and the feature film “Just Mercy” starring Michael B. Jordan.

The series is loosely inspired by the story of former New Jersey inmate Isaac Wright Jr., who really did go from being a prisoner with a life sentence to being a lawyer. Jackson met Wright on unrelated business and was overwhelmed by his story.

Pinnock, an accomplished stage actor whose TV credits include “Counterpart”

and “Marcella,” first met Wright during the table read of the pilot’s script. The two men huddled alone for about 40 minutes, with Pinnock peppering Wright with questions and noting the man’s speech patterns and body language. From that, he constructed a tightly coiled character.

“He had to have complete focus. There was no time for joy. There was no time for any grief. There was no time for wallowing. He had to focus on his directive, which was getting out of jail,” Pinnock said. “Everything was bubbling under the surface and he couldn’t fully feel any one emotion for too long.”

That led Pinnock to expand his skills at conveying fury. “What I tried to play with was finding as many different ways to convey that anger, to convey that frustration, to convey that focus. It’s very easy to go, ‘This works’ and you just keep doing this. But that’s boring for an audience.”

Pinnock in the end actually came up with five different takes on his character — one in court, one as a prisoner, one as a family man during visits, one as a prisoner representative with the warden and one in flashbacks when he was free. Was he paid five times? “I’d be a very, very rich man right now,” he jokes.q

Paramount halts 'Mission: Impossible' shoot over new virus NEW YORK (AP) — Paramount Pictures on Monday halted production on the seventh "Mission: Impossible" film due to the new virus, as Hollywood began to more drastically adapt to the growing global outbreak.

"Mission: Impossible 7" had been scheduled to shoot for three weeks in Venice. More than 200 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Italy, the largest number outside Asia. While most of those cases are in the neighboring Lombardy region, authorities said three people in Venice have tested posi-

tive for the virus.

In a statement, Paramount cited the Venetian government's halting of public gatherings, and said it was canceling the shoot "out of an abundance of caution for the safety and well-being of our cast and crew."

Paramount also on Monday postponed the Chinese release of "Sonic the Hedgehog," which had been set for Friday. Cinemas in China have been shuttered due to the outbreak, closing down the world's second largest boxoffice market.

At stake is potentially hundreds of millions in ticket

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Tom Cruise in a scene from "Mission: Impossible - Fallout," the sixth film in the Mission Impossible franchise.

Associated Press

sales in China and elsewhere. Media stocks were among those that tumbled Monday on Wall Street as fears increased of the virus' effect on the global economy.

Last week, the James Bond film "No Time to Die" canceled its planned Beijing premiere and promotional tour. The film is to open in Britain on April 2 and in North America on April 10.

The Walt Disney Co.'s anticipated live-action "Mulan" remake is also soon to open worldwide, with a particular focus on China.

It's due to open there on March 27.q

A30 PEOPLE

Wednesday 26 February 2020

& ARTS Review: Austen’s ‘Emma,’ humanized but not modernized

This undated image provided by Focus Features shows Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma Woodhouse in director Autumn de Wilde's film "Emma."

Associated Press

By JOCELYN NOVECK Associated Press There’s beauty to spare in the new screen adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma,” from its palatial country estates with their art-filled galleries and manicured lawns, to the exquisitely detailed costumes (those feathered bonnets!), to star Anya Taylor-Joy, whose porcelain skin and blonde ringlets look like they belong in a Botticelli painting.

But wait, what’s the unsightly red gush from her nose that emerges during a climactic romantic scene? Is Emma, um, having a nosebleed, amid all this pristine beauty?

Why, yes she is.

That nosebleed, director Autumn de Wilde has said, is an effort to show that no matter how elegant and refined we may be, we’re composed of flesh and blood. And that our bodies intruded and betrayed us back in the early 19th century, when the novel was written, just as they do now.

It’s a way of humanizing this new “EMMA.” — the title contains capital letters and a period, for some reason — without exactly modernizing it. Unlike, say, Greta Gerwig, who in “Little Women” played with both structure and contemporary plot elements, the filmmakers hew pretty close here to Austen’s original 1815 tale of a rich, wellmeaning but self-involved young woman who meddles in everyone’s affairs of the heart, and basically mucks it all up.

Anya Taylor-Joy. (Focus Features via AP) Not that the film doesn’t have flashes of modern sensibility. Warming herself by the fire, Emma at one point bares her bum.

George Knightley, her eventual love interest, first appears in his birthday suit.

And there’s plenty of millennial cred here, onscreen and off: Screenwriter Eleanor Catton, 34, was the youngest person to win the Man Booker prize (at 28, for “The Luminaries.”)

Director de Wilde is known

for her music video work and rock photography. The quietly magnetic Johnny Flynn, who plays Knightley, is also a singer-songwriter (he sings during the closing credits) and will soon portray David Bowie onscreen.

The soundtrack is by Isobel Waller-Bridge and David Schweitzer — yes, that Waller-Bridge. (She also wrote music for sister Phoebe’s “Fleabag.”)And OK, he’s not a millennial, but it’s high time we mention the film’s most delectable delight: Bill Nighy, playing Emma’s hypochondriacal father, Mr. Woodhouse, with such marvelous comic flair that you wish the movie were called “Emma’s Dad.” Nighy teaches a master class in delivery.

Give him a line, any line — say, “Do you feel a draft?”

— and watch what he does with it.

But back to our heroine, whom Austen herself called “a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” Actually, that seems a bit harsh. Certainly Emma’s a spoiled young thing, but even when she’s at her worst, she’s never meanspirited — just clueless, as the 1995 incarnation starring Alicia Silverstone was named. (Other famous Emmas: Gwyneth Paltrow on the big screen and Kate Beckinsale on TV).

We meet her as she’s just completed a successful match, for her governess.

Next on the list: her impressionable orphaned friend, Harriet (a poignant Mia Goth) who pines for a young farmer, but is convinced by Emma to eschew him in favor of a man of higher social status, the vicar Mr. Elton (a slapstick-funny Josh O’Connor.) Problem is, Mr. Elton pines only for Emma.

And Emma thinks she’s interested in the wealthy Frank Churchill (Callum Turner), who turns out to be secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax (Amber Anderson), the niece of Miss Bates (an excellent Miranda Hart), the garrulous woman who Emma thoughtlessly insults along the way.

Anya Taylor-Joy, left, as Emma Woodhouse and Johnny Flynn as George Knightley. (Focus Features via AP) The misunderstandings are too numerous to describe.

But the proceedings are beautifully paced, and the movie feels light and airy, like a pleasant dream.

There’s one strange element, and it’s hard to tell if it’s intentional: The schoolgirls, of which Harriet is one, periodically walk through the village in hooded red capes and white hats, looking very familiar to anyone who’s seen “A Handmaid’s Tale.” Is this a coincidence, or is de Wilde making a statement about the limited choices women have in 19th-century England? In any case, the costumes by Alexandra Byrne are terrific throughout.

Of course, the real romance here is between Emma and George, and it’s a slow burn — but it sure has heat. The spark begins at a ball, with long glances and tentative touches, and is ultimately revealed in a climactic scene both delicious and, well, a little bloody, like we said.

But George has a handkerchief, and, in the spirit of all the rom-coms that have descended from “Emma,” everything somehow irons itself out just in time.

“Emma,” a Focus Features release, has been rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America “for brief partial nudity.”

Running time: 124 minutes.

Three stars out of four.q

PEOPLE & ARTS A31 Netflix series explores the assassination of Malcolm X Wednesday 26 February 2020

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A new Netflix series is tackling questions around the 1965 assassination of civil rights icon Malcolm X. "Who Killed Malcolm X?" dives into questions surrounding his accused killers and allegations of a botched investigation. The show available now on the streaming service comes as Friday marked the 55th anniversary of Malcolm X's death.

The series follows activistscholar Abdur-Rahman Muhammad, who revisits the assassination through interviews and archives.

Muhammad argues in the series that at least two of the men charged with the slaying were innocent and that the real killers got away.

Three men — Muhammad Aziz, Mujahid Abdul Halim and Khalil Islam — were convicted of killing the civil rights leader and sentenced to life in prison. Aziz and Islam had long denied they were connected to any plot to kill Malcolm X, and Halim had said the two

In this May 16, 1963, file photo, civil rights leader Malcolm X speaks to reporters in Washington, D.C. Associated Press

were not involved.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance's office announced earlier this month after the release of the series that it will revisit

the 1965 assassination. "(Vance) has determined that the district attorney's office will begin a preliminary review of the matter, which will inform the office

regarding what further investigative steps may be undertaken," district attorney spokesman Danny Frost said in a statement.

The assassination of Mal-

colm X has long interested scholars and activists, who point to the feud he had with Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad after publicly breaking with the group.

A daughter of Malcolm X was charged in 1995 with trying to hire a hit man to kill Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Malcolm X's widow, Betty Shabazz, said in a 1994 television interview that she believed Farrakhan was involved in her husband's assassination.

Farrakhan, who was recruited into the Nation of Islam

by Malcolm X, wrote in the Dec. 4, 1964, issue of Muhammad Speaks, the organization's newspaper: "The die is set and Malcolm shall not escape. ... Such a man is worthy of death." Farrakhan was chief minister of the Nation of Islam's Boston mosque at the time the civil rights leader was killed.

Farrakhan acknowledged in a 2000 interview with CBS' 60 Minutes that his incendiary rhetoric played a role in the assassination.q

Singer Pharrell is making music on Miami's restaurant scene MIAMI (AP) — Grammy award-winning singer Pharrell may have been fired from three different McDonald's as a teen, but that didn't stop him from opening what has become one of the hottest restaurants in Miami.

The singer hosted a soul food brunch Saturday along with his dad Pharaoh, a self-taught chef, known for his sweet and spicy Nono Sauce, as part of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Growing up, family meals were the heart of the Williams home, a place to "hear what's exciting at your parent's job."

"Cooking is a reflection of your parents, the energy, the love. Food is a connector and it's a meeting place," Pharrell told The Associated Press during an interview before the brunch.

Back home, Pharaoh Williams was always in the kitchen and so were his

grandmothers.

Favorite dishes included his dad's chicken and pork and fried catfish with a special sauce that Pharrell says was more savory than spicy.

"His seasoning was what was always so distinctive with my dad's cooking and both my grandmothers cooked like that," he said.

At Saturday's sold-out $150 per ticket brunch at the upscale Swan restaurant in Miami's design district, they served platters of cornmeal-crusted catfish with chow chow, juicy BBQ chicken and ribs, cheddar grits and French toast with candied oranges and amaretto whipped cream.

Back in the kitchen, a team of chefs hustled to carry out Pharaoh Williams' menu, pulling mini sweet potato biscuits out of the oven and crusting copious plates of catfish. Fellow Grammy winner DJ Khaled, and former "Breaking Bad" co-stars

Grammy award winning singer Pharrell, from left, poses with his father Pharaoh Williams and nightlife guru David Grutman at the Swan restaurant in Miami's design district, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020.

Associated Press

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul were among the guests savoring the food on a tropical jungle style patio.

Happy to leave behind his fast food days, Pharrell opened Swan restaurant and its swanky upstairs Moroccan-themed Bar Bevy in 2018 with South Beach

nightlife guru and LIV club owner David Grutman.

The restaurant has been a hotbed for celebrities, especially during the Super Bowl and recent Art Basel weeks, where everyone from Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West to Leonardo DiCaprio and Bono

have indulged.

Grutman and Pharrell partnered with Top Chef Europe champion executive chef Jean Imbert for their restaurant, while Pharrell works on the side with a line of food products for his father.

But the "Happy" singer is clear about his role in the restaurant business — he happily stays out of the kitchen.

"I didn't cook then. I don't cook now," he laughed, adding "I love food."

He has a deep appreciation for the culinary arts, comparing it to "the same way I work in music. You're adding different sounds and things together," he said.

"Ingredients are like instruments. It's how you use them and it's who's using them. That's what makes one song different from the next, one style different from the next."q